Iowa WMD
Kossuth County, IA
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27.5K huntable acres
Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in Emmet County, IA
Emmet County has 10 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 2,540 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Ingham Lake WPA at 775 acres; the average tract is about 254 acres.
WPAs here are managed by the Iowa Wetland Management District, which sets any district-specific rules (vehicle access, blinds, nontoxic shot, closed areas).
The county covers about 403 square miles and has roughly 9,388 residents. WPAs make up about 1.0% of its land area.
10named WPAs
2.5Kacres of WPA land
775largest WPA (ac)
1refuges & districts
Map of WPAs in Emmet County
Gold outlines are fee-title Waterfowl Production Areas — federally owned public land. Land outside them is almost always private. Switch to satellite to check water conditions and cover, and click any tract for coordinates.
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Waterfowl Production Area (public)County lineRefuge / station
Tip: switch to Satellite or USGS Topo in the layer menu · click the map for GPS coordinates
All Waterfowl Production Areas in Emmet County
| WPA | Acres | Nearest town | GPS | Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ingham Lake WPA | 775 | 27 mi NE of Spencer | 43.33698, -94.67895 |
Map · Directions |
| Eagle Lake WPA 349 deeded ac |
344 | 29 mi NE of Spencer | 43.48173, -94.82177 |
Map · Directions |
| Tuttle Lake WPA | 313 | 37 mi NE of Spencer | 43.47645, -94.57504 |
Map · Directions |
| Four Mile WPA 288 deeded ac |
280 | 22 mi NE of Spencer | 43.40369, -94.88867 |
Map · Directions |
| Burr Oak WPA | 183 | 22 mi NE of Spencer | 43.28626, -94.75828 |
Map · Directions |
| Twelve Mile WPA | 162 | 18 mi NE of Spencer | 43.28795, -94.85129 |
Map · Directions |
| West Swan Lake WPA | 149 | 27 mi NE of Spencer | 43.34543, -94.67408 |
Map · Directions |
| Cheever Lake WPA | 134 | 21 mi NE of Spencer | 43.38089, -94.88899 |
Map · Directions |
| Wellnitz WPA | 120 | 28 mi NE of Spencer | 43.48145, -94.83642 |
Map · Directions |
| Iowa National Heritage Foundation WPA | 80 | 28 mi NE of Spencer | 43.47527, -94.82524 |
Map · Directions |
Acreage from USFWS realty GIS polygons. Coordinates are a point inside each tract — not necessarily a parking area. Look for designated parking and boundary signs on the ground.
Hunting WPAs in Emmet County: rules & tips
Typically allowed
- Hunting waterfowl, upland birds, deer and other game in season under Iowa regulations
- Walk-in access from roads and designated parking areas
- Fishing and trapping where state and district rules allow
- Wildlife watching, photography and dog training outside restricted periods
Common restrictions
- No camping, fires or overnight use on most tracts
- Motor vehicles only on designated roads and parking areas
- Blinds and portable stands usually removed at the end of each day
- Nontoxic shot required for waterfowl; many districts require it for all shotgun hunting
- Some tracts have closed areas, refuge-style rules or seasonal restrictions
Getting to Emmet County
Distances below are straight-line from the center of the county. Most WPAs are reached by county and township gravel roads — download the GPX file and load it into your phone or GPS before you lose cell coverage.
- Spencer, IA28 mi — county center is NE of town
- Windom, MN40 mi — county center is SE of town
- Mankato, MN64 mi — county center is SW of town
- Mason City, IA76 mi — county center is W of town
Shooting hours in Emmet County
Today at Emmet County
Legal light*–
Sunrise–
Sunset–
*½ hour before sunrise — the standard federal shooting-hour start for migratory game birds. Times in Chicago local time.
Full season calculator →2026–2027 season sun table
| Date | Shooting light | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, Sep 1, 2026 | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:56 PM | 13h 15m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:26 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:31 PM | 12h 35m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 6:44 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:02 PM | 11h 47m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 7:01 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:37 PM | 11h 07m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:22 AM | 6:52 AM | 5:11 PM | 10h 19m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 6:41 AM | 7:11 AM | 4:55 PM | 9h 44m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 7:01 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:45 PM | 9h 14m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:14 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:43 PM | 8h 60m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 7:21 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:52 PM | 9h 01m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 7:18 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:06 PM | 9h 18m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 7:05 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:28 PM | 9h 53m |
Computed for 43.375, -94.688 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.
7-day forecast for Emmet County
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Forecast from the National Weather Service. Wind direction matters — plan your approach downwind of where game beds.
Refuges & districts with land in Emmet County
Neighboring counties with WPAs
- Clay County, IA 5 WPAs · 863 ac
- Dickinson County, IA 15 WPAs · 6.8K ac
- Jackson County, MN 26 WPAs · 5.5K ac
- Kossuth County, IA 15 WPAs · 3.1K ac
- Martin County, MN 3 WPAs · 544 ac
- Palo Alto County, IA 5 WPAs · 964 ac
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.