Big Stone NWR
Lac qui Parle County, MN
!2 special✕1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣
9.6K huntable acres
County guide · Minnesota · MN WPAs
Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in Lac qui Parle County, MN
Lac qui Parle County has 20 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 4,673 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Hastad WPA at 984 acres; the average tract is about 234 acres, and 6 are smaller than 80 acres.
WPAs here are managed by the Morris Wetland Management District, which sets any district-specific rules (vehicle access, blinds, nontoxic shot, closed areas).
The county covers about 781 square miles and has roughly 6,719 residents. WPAs make up about 0.9% of its land area.
20named WPAs
4.7Kacres of WPA land
984largest WPA (ac)
3refuges & districts
Map of WPAs in Lac qui Parle 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 Lac qui Parle County
| WPA | Acres | Nearest town | GPS | Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hastad WPA 991 deeded ac |
984 | 32 mi S of Morris | 45.13548, -96.07587 |
Map · Directions |
| Hegland WPA 486 deeded ac |
464 | 32 mi S of Morris | 45.14424, -96.05259 |
Map · Directions |
| Farrell WPA | 403 | 37 mi E of Watertown | 44.88139, -96.37135 |
Map · Directions |
| Pearson WPA | 366 | 36 mi E of Watertown | 44.85968, -96.38423 |
Map · Directions |
| Wendland WPA | 279 | 38 mi NE of Watertown | 45.15889, -96.42252 |
Map · Directions |
| Colbert WPA | 278 | 37 mi NW of Marshall | 44.90160, -96.19096 |
Map · Directions |
| Beyer WPA | 269 | 38 mi NE of Watertown | 45.15710, -96.43785 |
Map · Directions |
| Goodman WPA | 236 | 39 mi E of Watertown | 44.91769, -96.32707 |
Map · Directions |
| Florida Creek WPA | 201 | 38 mi NW of Marshall | 44.86709, -96.28127 |
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| Taylor WPA | 181 | 34 mi E of Watertown | 44.88909, -96.42318 |
Map · Directions |
| Bolson Slough WPA | 179 | 37 mi E of Watertown | 44.89515, -96.36802 |
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| Quaal WPA | 178 | 38 mi S of Morris | 45.04691, -96.06807 |
Map · Directions |
| Larson WPA | 176 | 40 mi E of Watertown | 45.02903, -96.31576 |
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| Garfield WPA | 161 | 41 mi E of Watertown | 44.96856, -96.29329 |
Map · Directions |
| Freeland WPA | 80 | 39 mi NW of Marshall | 44.87595, -96.30166 |
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| Sumner WPA | 65 | 29 mi N of Marshall | 44.84052, -95.99805 |
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| Bailey Slough WPA | 63 | 35 mi E of Watertown | 44.82078, -96.42342 |
Map · Directions |
| Borass WPA | 40 | 34 mi S of Morris | 45.11226, -96.04416 |
Map · Directions |
| Hackert WPA | 40 | 38 mi E of Watertown | 45.08277, -96.39163 |
Map · Directions |
| Plover WPA | 32 | 31 mi SW of Morris | 45.21227, -96.26553 |
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 Lac qui Parle County: rules & tips
Typically allowed
- Hunting waterfowl, upland birds, deer and other game in season under Minnesota 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 Lac qui Parle 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.
- Morris, MN39 mi — county center is S of town
- Marshall, MN46 mi — county center is NW of town
- Watertown, SD47 mi — county center is E of town
- Willmar, MN56 mi — county center is W of town
Shooting hours in Lac qui Parle County
Today at Lac qui Parle 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 | 6:15 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:04 PM | 13h 19m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:31 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:38 PM | 12h 36m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:07 PM | 11h 46m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 7:08 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:41 PM | 11h 03m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:32 AM | 7:02 AM | 5:14 PM | 10h 13m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:57 PM | 9h 36m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 7:12 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:45 PM | 9h 03m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:26 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:43 PM | 8h 48m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 7:33 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:52 PM | 8h 49m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 7:29 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:07 PM | 9h 07m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 7:15 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:30 PM | 9h 45m |
Computed for 45.059, -96.193 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.
7-day forecast for Lac qui Parle 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 Lac qui Parle County
Refuge hunt units in Lac qui Parle County
| Unit | Refuge | Status | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunt Unit A | Big Stone NWR | !Special regs | 5,686 |
| Hunt Unit B | Big Stone NWR | !Special regs | 3,888 |
| Closed | Big Stone NWR | ✕Closed | 2,083 |
Neighboring counties with WPAs
- Big Stone County, MN 58 WPAs · 12.7K ac
- Chippewa County, MN 2 WPAs · 360 ac
- Deuel County, SD 22 WPAs · 2.8K ac
- Grant County, SD 25 WPAs · 5.8K ac
- Swift County, MN 30 WPAs · 8.7K ac
- Yellow Medicine County, MN 5 WPAs · 1.1K ac
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.