Madison WMD
Lake County, SD
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44K huntable acres
County guide · South Dakota · SD WPAs
Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in Brookings County, SD
Brookings County has 26 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 6,639 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Dry Lake WPA at 1,443 acres; the average tract is about 255 acres, and 7 are smaller than 80 acres.
WPAs here are managed by the Madison Wetland Management District, which sets any district-specific rules (vehicle access, blinds, nontoxic shot, closed areas).
The county covers about 805 square miles and has roughly 34,375 residents. WPAs make up about 1.3% of its land area.
26named WPAs
6.6Kacres of WPA land
1,443largest WPA (ac)
1refuges & districts
Map of WPAs in Brookings 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 Brookings County
| WPA | Acres | Nearest town | GPS | Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Lake WPA | 1,443 | 13 mi W of Brookings | 44.35817, -97.06334 |
Map · Directions |
| Brush Lake WPA 696 deeded ac |
686 | 15 mi W of Brookings | 44.31310, -97.10823 |
Map · Directions |
| Errington WPA 533 deeded ac |
568 | 16 mi NW of Brookings | 44.47211, -97.01775 |
Map · Directions |
| Bjornlie WPA | 540 | 22 mi NE of Brookings | 44.53728, -96.50008 |
Map · Directions |
| Brookings WPA | 359 | 16 mi NW of Brookings | 44.42373, -97.07539 |
Map · Directions |
| Larsen WPA | 327 | 16 mi W of Brookings | 44.28470, -97.12149 |
Map · Directions |
| Wenk WPA 317 deeded ac |
310 | 16 mi W of Brookings | 44.25387, -97.12421 |
Map · Directions |
| Goodfellow WPA | 238 | 15 mi NW of Brookings | 44.47069, -97.00405 |
Map · Directions |
| Gerdink WPA | 237 | 11 mi SW of Brookings | 44.19988, -96.96063 |
Map · Directions |
| Kasperson WPA | 206 | 14 mi W of Brookings | 44.24102, -97.06161 |
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| Nelson WPA | 191 | 20 mi NW of Brookings | 44.50861, -97.08400 |
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| Eriksrud WPA | 175 | 13 mi W of Brookings | 44.24797, -97.05723 |
Map · Directions |
| Matson WPA | 172 | 14 mi N of Madison | 44.20810, -97.12361 |
Map · Directions |
| Lund WPA 172 deeded ac |
166 | 9.7 mi W of Brookings | 44.33933, -96.99256 |
Map · Directions |
| Pittenger WPA | 156 | 9.7 mi NW of Brookings | 44.38767, -96.96274 |
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| Kenneth Nelson WPA | 143 | 12 mi SW of Brookings | 44.21950, -97.01391 |
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| Henrikson WPA | 133 | 14 mi W of Brookings | 44.28536, -97.08621 |
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| Johnson WPA | 104 | 23 mi NE of Brookings | 44.53661, -96.46113 |
Map · Directions |
| Rottum WPA | 83 | 20 mi NE of Brookings | 44.53548, -96.54230 |
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| Holm WPA | 80 | 16 mi W of Brookings | 44.27199, -97.12566 |
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| Cotton WPA | 76 | 18 mi NW of Brookings | 44.50383, -97.04610 |
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| Kneip WPA | 74 | 17 mi W of Brookings | 44.38175, -97.12488 |
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| Kangas WPA | 68 | 20 mi NW of Brookings | 44.54117, -97.05429 |
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| Ziegler WPA | 50 | 8.8 mi W of Brookings | 44.31366, -96.97738 |
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| Bolstad WPA | 40 | 9.9 mi W of Brookings | 44.27002, -96.99160 |
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| Olson WPA | 14 | 14 mi N of Madison | 44.21801, -97.12661 |
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 Brookings County: rules & tips
Typically allowed
- Hunting waterfowl, upland birds, deer and other game in season under South Dakota 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 Brookings 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.
- Brookings, SD4.1 mi — county center is N of town
- Madison, SD29 mi — county center is NE of town
- Watertown, SD40 mi — county center is SE of town
- Marshall, MN50 mi — county center is W of town
Shooting hours in Brookings County
Today at Brookings 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 | 6:18 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:06 PM | 13h 17m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:34 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:40 PM | 12h 36m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:10 PM | 11h 47m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 7:10 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:45 PM | 11h 05m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:33 AM | 7:03 AM | 5:18 PM | 10h 15m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:01 PM | 9h 39m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 7:12 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:50 PM | 9h 08m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:25 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:48 PM | 8h 53m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 7:32 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:57 PM | 8h 54m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 7:29 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:11 PM | 9h 12m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 7:16 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:34 PM | 9h 48m |
Computed for 44.369, -96.794 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.
7-day forecast for Brookings 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 Brookings County
Neighboring counties with WPAs
- Deuel County, SD 22 WPAs · 2.8K ac
- Hamlin County, SD 20 WPAs · 3.4K ac
- Kingsbury County, SD 34 WPAs · 7.3K ac
- Lake County, SD 37 WPAs · 6.3K ac
- Lincoln County, MN 17 WPAs · 2.3K ac
- Moody County, SD 15 WPAs · 3.2K ac
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.