Sand Lake NWR
Brown County, SD
!2 special✕1 closed
🦌🐦🎣
19.5K huntable acres
County guide · South Dakota · SD WPAs
Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in Brown County, SD
Brown County has 22 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 4,686 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Hecla WPA at 1,110 acres; the average tract is about 213 acres, and 5 are smaller than 80 acres.
WPAs here are managed by the Sand Lake Wetland Management District, which sets any district-specific rules (vehicle access, blinds, nontoxic shot, closed areas).
The county covers about 1,733 square miles and has roughly 38,301 residents. WPAs make up about 0.4% of its land area.
22named WPAs
4.7Kacres of WPA land
1,110largest WPA (ac)
2refuges & districts
Map of WPAs in Brown 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 Brown County
| WPA | Acres | Nearest town | GPS | Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hecla WPA | 1,110 | 37 mi NE of Aberdeen | 45.91848, -98.10844 |
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| Lord Lake WPA | 440 | 8.0 mi SW of Aberdeen | 45.36948, -98.59308 |
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| Proud WPA | 319 | 5.7 mi N of Aberdeen | 45.54256, -98.48457 |
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| Hayes WPA | 319 | 35 mi NE of Aberdeen | 45.84236, -98.00492 |
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| Ryman WPA | 267 | 11 mi S of Aberdeen | 45.30421, -98.56456 |
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| Fuhrman WPA | 263 | 15 mi S of Aberdeen | 45.24975, -98.55095 |
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| Ristau WPA | 243 | 11 mi SW of Aberdeen | 45.34962, -98.65821 |
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| Horn WPA | 240 | 7.1 mi SW of Aberdeen | 45.42050, -98.62426 |
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| Thorpe WPA | 161 | 36 mi NE of Aberdeen | 45.90043, -98.07997 |
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| North Sand Lake WPA | 158 | 33 mi NE of Aberdeen | 45.89159, -98.19312 |
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| Swanson WPA | 151 | 37 mi NE of Aberdeen | 45.93264, -98.14973 |
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| Mardian WPA | 145 | 11 mi S of Aberdeen | 45.31139, -98.55217 |
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| Engle Dam WPA | 145 | 33 mi N of Aberdeen | 45.91502, -98.27503 |
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| Maunu WPA | 135 | 31 mi N of Aberdeen | 45.90427, -98.34572 |
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| Kalt WPA | 122 | 13 mi SW of Aberdeen | 45.32637, -98.67169 |
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| Braun WPA | 100 | 6.8 mi SW of Aberdeen | 45.37473, -98.56083 |
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| Evelo WPA | 90 | 6.5 mi S of Aberdeen | 45.36713, -98.51074 |
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| Luoma WPA | 80 | 33 mi N of Aberdeen | 45.92808, -98.35737 |
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| Wanttie WPA | 78 | 33 mi N of Aberdeen | 45.92456, -98.36770 |
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| Dennert WPA | 50 | 16 mi NE of Aberdeen | 45.65966, -98.30760 |
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| Krause WPA | 35 | 12 mi S of Aberdeen | 45.29473, -98.58090 |
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| Heis WPA | 33 | 27 mi N of Aberdeen | 45.83753, -98.35429 |
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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 Brown 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 Brown 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.
- Aberdeen, SD11 mi — county center is NE of town
- Watertown, SD77 mi — county center is NW of town
- Huron, SD85 mi — county center is N of town
- Jamestown, ND93 mi — county center is S of town
Shooting hours in Brown County
Today at Brown 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 | 6:23 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:14 PM | 13h 21m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:40 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:47 PM | 12h 37m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 6:59 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:15 PM | 11h 46m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 7:18 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:49 PM | 11h 02m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:41 AM | 7:11 AM | 5:22 PM | 10h 10m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 7:01 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:04 PM | 9h 33m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 7:22 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:52 PM | 8h 59m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:36 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:50 PM | 8h 44m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 7:43 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:58 PM | 8h 45m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 7:40 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:13 PM | 9h 04m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 7:25 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:37 PM | 9h 42m |
Computed for 45.593, -98.352 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.
7-day forecast for Brown 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 Brown County
Refuge hunt units in Brown County
| Unit | Refuge | Status | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restricted A | Sand Lake NWR | !Special regs | 18,441 |
| Restricted B | Sand Lake NWR | !Special regs | 1,105 |
| Black Shaded | Sand Lake NWR | ✕Closed | 199 |
Neighboring counties with WPAs
- Day County, SD 49 WPAs · 7.3K ac
- Dickey County, ND 43 WPAs · 10.2K ac
- Edmunds County, SD 37 WPAs · 9.2K ac
- Faulk County, SD 10 WPAs · 2.8K ac
- Marshall County, SD 36 WPAs · 11.3K ac
- McPherson County, SD 61 WPAs · 21K ac
- Sargent County, ND 18 WPAs · 5.2K ac
- Spink County, SD 10 WPAs · 2.4K ac
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.