County guide · Minnesota · MN WPAs

Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in Mower County, MN

Mower County has 2 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 142 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Lost Lake WPA at 100 acres; the average tract is about 71 acres, and 1 are smaller than 80 acres.

WPAs here are managed by the Windom Wetland Management District, which sets any district-specific rules (vehicle access, blinds, nontoxic shot, closed areas).

The county covers about 711 square miles and has roughly 40,029 residents. WPAs make up about 0.0% of its land area.

2named WPAs
142acres of WPA land
100largest WPA (ac)
1refuges & districts

Map of WPAs in Mower 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
Take every tract with you:KML (Google Earth / onX)GPX waypoints

All Waterfowl Production Areas in Mower County

Largest WPAs (acres)
WPAAcresNearest townGPSGo
Lost Lake WPA 100 35 mi SW of Rochester 43.70921, -93.03650 Map · Directions
Arlen Schamber Legacy WPA 43 35 mi SW of Rochester 43.71963, -93.02650 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 Mower 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 Mower 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.

  • Rochester, MN28 mi — county center is SW of town
  • Mason City, IA42 mi — county center is NE of town
  • Winona, MN61 mi — county center is SW of town
  • Mankato, MN70 mi — county center is SE of town

Shooting hours in Mower County

Today at Mower 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

DateShooting lightSunriseSunsetDaylight
Tue, Sep 1, 20266:03 AM6:33 AM7:49 PM13h 16m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:18 AM6:48 AM7:23 PM12h 35m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:36 AM7:06 AM6:54 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20266:53 AM7:23 AM6:29 PM11h 06m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:15 AM6:45 AM5:03 PM10h 18m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:34 AM7:04 AM4:47 PM9h 43m
Tue, Dec 1, 20266:54 AM7:24 AM4:36 PM9h 12m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:07 AM7:37 AM4:34 PM8h 58m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:14 AM7:44 AM4:43 PM8h 59m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:11 AM7:41 AM4:57 PM9h 16m
Mon, Feb 1, 20276:58 AM7:28 AM5:19 PM9h 51m

Computed for 43.667, -92.753 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day forecast for Mower 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 Mower County

Windom WMD

Cottonwood County, MN

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

17.8K huntable acres

Neighboring counties with WPAs

Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.