County guide · Minnesota · MN WPAs

Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in Yellow Medicine County, MN

Yellow Medicine County has 5 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 1,092 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Spellman Lake WPA at 394 acres; the average tract is about 218 acres, and 2 are smaller than 80 acres.

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

The county covers about 762 square miles and has roughly 9,528 residents. WPAs make up about 0.2% of its land area.

5named WPAs
1.1Kacres of WPA land
394largest WPA (ac)
1refuges & districts

Map of WPAs in Yellow Medicine 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 Yellow Medicine County

Largest WPAs (acres)
How big are the tracts? (number of WPAs by acres)
<40: 11<4040–80: 1140–8080–160160–320: 11160–320320+: 22320+
WPAAcresNearest townGPSGo
Spellman Lake WPA 394 15 mi N of Marshall 44.66865, -95.76098 Map · Directions
Swede Home WPA 324 16 mi NW of Marshall 44.63417, -95.98180 Map · Directions
Dakota WPA 284 34 mi NE of Brookings 44.71248, -96.42006 Map · Directions
Busack WPA 60 19 mi NE of Marshall 44.59092, -95.45941 Map · Directions
Kontz WPA 30 33 mi NE of Brookings 44.72096, -96.44178 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 Yellow Medicine 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 Yellow Medicine 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, MN22 mi — county center is N of town
  • Brookings, SD51 mi — county center is NE of town
  • Willmar, MN52 mi — county center is SW of town
  • Watertown, SD58 mi — county center is E of town

Shooting hours in Yellow Medicine County

Today at Yellow Medicine 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, 20266:15 AM6:45 AM8:03 PM13h 18m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:31 AM7:01 AM7:37 PM12h 36m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:50 AM7:20 AM7:06 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:07 AM7:37 AM6:41 PM11h 04m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:30 AM7:00 AM5:14 PM10h 14m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:50 AM7:20 AM4:57 PM9h 37m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:10 AM7:40 AM4:45 PM9h 05m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:23 AM7:53 AM4:43 PM8h 50m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:30 AM8:00 AM4:52 PM8h 52m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:27 AM7:57 AM5:07 PM9h 09m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:13 AM7:43 AM5:30 PM9h 46m

Computed for 44.744, -95.951 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day forecast for Yellow Medicine 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 Yellow Medicine County

Morris WMD

Stevens County, MN

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

56.6K huntable acres

Neighboring counties with WPAs

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