County guide · Minnesota · MN WPAs

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

Watonwan County has 1 named Waterfowl Production Area covering 55 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land.

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 440 square miles and has roughly 11,253 residents. WPAs make up about 0.0% of its land area.

County mapAll 1 WPAsDownload KML
1named WPAs
55acres of WPA land
55largest WPA (ac)
1refuges & districts

Map of WPAs in Watonwan 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 Watonwan County

WPAAcresNearest townGPSGo
Wood Lake WPA 55 24 mi NE of Windom 44.09033, -94.75004 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 Watonwan 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 Watonwan 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.

  • Windom, MN26 mi — county center is E of town
  • Mankato, MN34 mi — county center is W of town
  • Spencer, IA64 mi — county center is NE of town
  • Marshall, MN67 mi — county center is SE of town

Shooting hours in Watonwan County

Today at Watonwan 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, 20266:10 AM6:40 AM7:57 PM13h 16m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:26 AM6:56 AM7:31 PM12h 35m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:44 AM7:14 AM7:01 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:01 AM7:31 AM6:36 PM11h 05m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:23 AM6:53 AM5:10 PM10h 17m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:42 AM7:12 AM4:53 PM9h 41m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:02 AM7:32 AM4:42 PM9h 10m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:15 AM7:45 AM4:41 PM8h 55m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:22 AM7:52 AM4:49 PM8h 57m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:20 AM7:50 AM5:04 PM9h 14m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:06 AM7:36 AM5:26 PM9h 50m

Computed for 43.978, -94.617 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day forecast for Watonwan County

Loading National Weather Service forecast…

Forecast from the National Weather Service. Wind direction matters — plan your approach downwind of where game beds.

Refuges & districts with land in Watonwan 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.