Minnesota Valley NWR
Hennepin County, MN
!12 special✕5 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣
12.6K huntable acres
County guide · Minnesota · MN WPAs
Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in Le Sueur County, MN
Le Sueur County has 4 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 418 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Delehanty WPA at 162 acres; the average tract is about 104 acres, and 1 are smaller than 80 acres.
WPAs here are managed by the Minnesota Valley Wetland Management District, which sets any district-specific rules (vehicle access, blinds, nontoxic shot, closed areas).
The county covers about 474 square miles and has roughly 28,674 residents. WPAs make up about 0.1% of its land area.
4named WPAs
418acres of WPA land
162largest WPA (ac)
2refuges & districts
Map of WPAs in Le Sueur 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 Le Sueur County
| WPA | Acres | Nearest town | GPS | Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delehanty WPA | 162 | 25 mi NE of Mankato | 44.36751, -93.58046 |
Map · Directions |
| Preuss WPA | 115 | 19 mi E of Mankato | 44.25085, -93.63799 |
Map · Directions |
| Fickling WPA | 88 | 22 mi NE of Mankato | 44.42528, -93.76077 |
Map · Directions |
| Rice Lake WPA | 53 | 30 mi NE of Mankato | 44.44034, -93.53847 |
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 Le Sueur 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 Le Sueur 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.
- Mankato, MN19 mi — county center is NE of town
- Minneapolis, MN48 mi — county center is SW of town
- St. Paul, MN52 mi — county center is SW of town
- Litchfield, MN65 mi — county center is SE of town
Shooting hours in Le Sueur County
Today at Le Sueur 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 | 6:06 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:54 PM | 13h 17m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:22 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:28 PM | 12h 36m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 6:41 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:57 PM | 11h 47m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 6:58 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:32 PM | 11h 05m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:20 AM | 6:50 AM | 5:06 PM | 10h 15m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 6:40 AM | 7:10 AM | 4:49 PM | 9h 39m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 7:00 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:38 PM | 9h 08m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:13 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:36 PM | 8h 53m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 7:20 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:44 PM | 8h 54m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 7:17 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:59 PM | 9h 12m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 7:04 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:22 PM | 9h 48m |
Computed for 44.365, -93.742 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.
7-day forecast for Le Sueur 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 Le Sueur County
Refuge hunt units in Le Sueur County
| Unit | Refuge | Status | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blakeley | Minnesota Valley NWR | !Special regs | 1,121 |
Neighboring counties with WPAs
- Blue Earth County, MN 17 WPAs · 4.2K ac
- Rice County, MN 3 WPAs · 489 ac
- Scott County, MN 1 WPAs · 40 ac
- Sibley County, MN 7 WPAs · 1.7K ac
- Waseca County, MN 3 WPAs · 302 ac
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.