Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR
Lincoln County, MN
✓1 open!3 special✕1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣
6.7K huntable acres
County guide · Minnesota · MN WPAs
Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in Murray County, MN
Murray County has 11 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 3,064 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Big Slough WPA at 812 acres; the average tract is about 279 acres, and 2 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 717 square miles and has roughly 8,179 residents. WPAs make up about 0.7% of its land area.
11named WPAs
3.1Kacres of WPA land
812largest WPA (ac)
2refuges & districts
Map of WPAs in Murray 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 Murray County
| WPA | Acres | Nearest town | GPS | Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Slough WPA | 812 | 30 mi W of Windom | 43.95572, -95.71555 |
Map · Directions |
| Slaughter Slough WPA | 641 | 26 mi S of Marshall | 44.09466, -95.62042 |
Map · Directions |
| Mason WPA | 436 | 25 mi S of Marshall | 44.08164, -95.76847 |
Map · Directions |
| Giese WPA | 317 | 18 mi W of Windom | 43.86966, -95.47761 |
Map · Directions |
| 5-Mile Corner WPA | 244 | 26 mi S of Marshall | 44.07466, -95.74904 |
Map · Directions |
| Talcot Lake WPA | 156 | 19 mi W of Windom | 43.86602, -95.49740 |
Map · Directions |
| Devils Run WPA | 156 | 25 mi NW of Windom | 44.01757, -95.56856 |
Map · Directions |
| Iona WPA | 81 | 35 mi W of Windom | 43.89728, -95.82858 |
Map · Directions |
| Buffalo Lake WPA | 81 | 27 mi NW of Windom | 44.08541, -95.56806 |
Map · Directions |
| Dovray WPA | 79 | 26 mi NW of Windom | 44.06734, -95.55789 |
Map · Directions |
| Lake Julia WPA | 64 | 22 mi NW of Windom | 44.04932, -95.48189 |
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 Murray 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 Murray 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.
- Marshall, MN30 mi — county center is S of town
- Windom, MN34 mi — county center is W of town
- Brookings, SD55 mi — county center is E of town
- Sioux Falls, SD58 mi — county center is NE of town
Shooting hours in Murray County
Today at Murray 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 | 8:01 PM | 13h 16m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:30 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:36 PM | 12h 35m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:06 PM | 11h 47m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 7:06 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:41 PM | 11h 05m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:28 AM | 6:58 AM | 5:15 PM | 10h 17m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:58 PM | 9h 41m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 7:07 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:47 PM | 9h 10m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:20 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:45 PM | 8h 55m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 7:27 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:54 PM | 8h 57m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 7:24 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:08 PM | 9h 14m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 7:11 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:31 PM | 9h 50m |
Computed for 44.022, -95.768 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.
7-day forecast for Murray 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 Murray County
Refuge hunt units in Murray County
| Unit | Refuge | Status | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Closed-MN | Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR | ✕Closed | 264 |
| WPA Open | Windom WMD | !Special regs | 17,831 |
Neighboring counties with WPAs
- Cottonwood County, MN 14 WPAs · 3.8K ac
- Lyon County, MN 8 WPAs · 2.3K ac
- Nobles County, MN 5 WPAs · 744 ac
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.