Litchfield WMD
Meeker County, MN
!1 special✕1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣
38.6K huntable acres
County guide · Minnesota · MN WPAs
Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in Stearns County, MN
Stearns County has 43 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 10,174 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Lovell Lake WPA at 914 acres; the average tract is about 237 acres, and 7 are smaller than 80 acres.
WPAs here are managed by the Litchfield Wetland Management District and Morris Wetland Management District, which set any district-specific rules (vehicle access, blinds, nontoxic shot, closed areas).
The county covers about 1,390 square miles and has roughly 158,292 residents. WPAs make up about 1.1% of its land area.
43named WPAs
10.2Kacres of WPA land
914largest WPA (ac)
1refuges & districts
Map of WPAs in Stearns 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 Stearns County
| WPA | Acres | Nearest town | GPS | Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lovell Lake WPA | 914 | 28 mi NW of St. Cloud | 45.75086, -94.66978 |
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| Ashley WPA | 856 | 19 mi SE of Alexandria | 45.68965, -95.12406 |
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| Padua WPA | 716 | 22 mi SE of Alexandria | 45.63823, -95.10859 |
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| St. Martin WPA 440 deeded ac |
449 | 24 mi W of St. Cloud | 45.55840, -94.64969 |
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| Trisko WPA | 442 | 24 mi SE of Alexandria | 45.66583, -95.00115 |
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| Prairie Storm WPA | 404 | 23 mi SE of Alexandria | 45.61410, -95.11872 |
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| Whitney WPA | 399 | 20 mi SE of Alexandria | 45.73199, -95.03843 |
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| Eden Valley WPA | 394 | 15 mi N of Litchfield | 45.33470, -94.61807 |
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| Crow Lake WPA | 378 | 22 mi N of Willmar | 45.43925, -95.07795 |
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| Behnen WPA | 371 | 21 mi SE of Alexandria | 45.67808, -95.07563 |
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| Sand Lake WPA | 315 | 16 mi W of St. Cloud | 45.51093, -94.49174 |
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| Bauman WPA | 306 | 25 mi NW of Litchfield | 45.45299, -94.76108 |
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| Zion WPA | 279 | 25 mi N of Litchfield | 45.46665, -94.69668 |
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| Erpelding WPA | 277 | 17 mi NE of Litchfield | 45.35926, -94.38359 |
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| Roscoe WPA 259 deeded ac |
264 | 20 mi N of Litchfield | 45.41293, -94.64810 |
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| Greenwald WPA | 253 | 32 mi W of St. Cloud | 45.58826, -94.82700 |
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| Kenna WPA | 250 | 27 mi SE of Alexandria | 45.64353, -94.95870 |
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| McCormick Lake WPA | 245 | 26 mi SE of Alexandria | 45.71129, -94.90966 |
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| Rice Lake WPA | 184 | 16 mi N of Litchfield | 45.36355, -94.59951 |
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| Brockway WPA | 180 | 13 mi NW of St. Cloud | 45.72262, -94.30136 |
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| Lake Henry WPA | 172 | 26 mi NW of Litchfield | 45.46346, -94.77520 |
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| Farming WPA | 162 | 20 mi W of St. Cloud | 45.53697, -94.58112 |
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| Krain WPA | 162 | 21 mi NW of St. Cloud | 45.72008, -94.54052 |
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| Pope WPA | 159 | 20 mi SE of Alexandria | 45.65379, -95.13428 |
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| Cedar Lake WPA | 151 | 31 mi W of St. Cloud | 45.70322, -94.76612 |
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| Oak WPA | 145 | 25 mi W of St. Cloud | 45.62070, -94.67483 |
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| Zehrer WPA | 145 | 21 mi SE of Alexandria | 45.74731, -94.99803 |
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| Collegeville WPA | 122 | 13 mi W of St. Cloud | 45.51240, -94.42796 |
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| Gettel WPA | 116 | 19 mi SE of Alexandria | 45.74860, -95.03073 |
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| Costello WPA | 106 | 24 mi SE of Alexandria | 45.74575, -94.93219 |
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| Wiener WPA | 100 | 19 mi SE of Alexandria | 45.71354, -95.08205 |
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| Crosier WPA | 99 | 27 mi SE of Alexandria | 45.71096, -94.89037 |
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| Murray Lake WPA 99 deeded ac |
89 | 16 mi SW of St. Cloud | 45.35049, -94.28476 |
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| Twin Lakes WPA | 83 | 24 mi E of Alexandria | 45.76881, -94.90349 |
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| Mud Lake WPA | 81 | 16 mi N of Litchfield | 45.36657, -94.52681 |
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| Big Fish Lake WPA | 81 | 14 mi W of St. Cloud | 45.51625, -94.45182 |
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| Lake George WPA | 76 | 29 mi N of Willmar | 45.53177, -94.88857 |
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| Claude WPA | 62 | 23 mi SE of Alexandria | 45.63083, -95.08941 |
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| Uhlenkolts Lake WPA | 56 | 28 mi W of St. Cloud | 45.65619, -94.73217 |
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| Stoney Creek WPA | 49 | 30 mi SE of Alexandria | 45.58476, -94.92780 |
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| Spring Hill WPA | 37 | 29 mi N of Willmar | 45.52458, -94.87215 |
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| Stearns WPA | 28 | 26 mi SE of Alexandria | 45.55805, -95.13348 |
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| Schurman WPA | 18 | 26 mi SE of Alexandria | 45.70431, -94.91228 |
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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 Stearns 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 Stearns 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.
- St. Cloud, MN23 mi — county center is W of town
- Litchfield, MN29 mi — county center is N of town
- Willmar, MN35 mi — county center is NE of town
- Alexandria, MN43 mi — county center is SE of town
Shooting hours in Stearns County
Today at Stearns 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 | 6:08 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:59 PM | 13h 20m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:25 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:32 PM | 12h 37m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 6:45 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:01 PM | 11h 46m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 7:03 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:35 PM | 11h 02m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:26 AM | 6:56 AM | 5:07 PM | 10h 11m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 4:49 PM | 9h 33m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 7:07 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:37 PM | 8h 60m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:21 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:35 PM | 8h 44m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 7:28 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:44 PM | 8h 46m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 7:25 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:59 PM | 9h 04m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 7:10 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:22 PM | 9h 42m |
Computed for 45.539, -94.642 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.
7-day forecast for Stearns 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 Stearns County
Refuge hunt units in Stearns County
| Unit | Refuge | Status | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| WPA Open | Litchfield WMD | !Special regs | 38,587 |
Neighboring counties with WPAs
- Douglas County, MN 57 WPAs · 11.7K ac
- Kandiyohi County, MN 59 WPAs · 14.7K ac
- Meeker County, MN 17 WPAs · 5.4K ac
- Pope County, MN 66 WPAs · 14.3K ac
- Todd County, MN 6 WPAs · 804 ac
- Wright County, MN 13 WPAs · 3.4K ac
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.