County guide · South Dakota · SD WPAs

Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in Brule County, SD

Brule County has 3 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 1,063 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Koss WPA at 730 acres; the average tract is about 354 acres.

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

The county covers about 846 square miles and has roughly 5,247 residents. WPAs make up about 0.2% of its land area.

3named WPAs
1.1Kacres of WPA land
730largest WPA (ac)
1refuges & districts

Map of WPAs in Brule 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 Brule County

Largest WPAs (acres)
730 ac
156 ac
WPAAcresNearest townGPSGo
Koss WPA
834 deeded ac
730 35 mi NW of Lake Andes 43.61371, -98.87137 Map · Directions
Stanek WPA
80 deeded ac
177 37 mi NW of Lake Andes 43.56821, -99.00748 Map · Directions
Pipal WPA 156 37 mi NW of Lake Andes 43.58214, -98.97780 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 Brule 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 Brule 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.

  • Lake Andes, SD48 mi — county center is NW of town
  • Mitchell, SD54 mi — county center is W of town
  • Huron, SD64 mi — county center is SW of town
  • Pierre, SD77 mi — county center is SE of town

Shooting hours in Brule County

Today at Brule 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, 20266:28 AM6:58 AM8:14 PM13h 16m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:44 AM7:14 AM7:49 PM12h 35m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:02 AM7:32 AM7:19 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:19 AM7:49 AM6:55 PM11h 06m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:41 AM7:11 AM5:29 PM10h 18m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:59 AM7:29 AM5:12 PM9h 43m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:19 AM7:49 AM5:01 PM9h 12m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:32 AM8:02 AM5:00 PM8h 57m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:39 AM8:09 AM5:08 PM8h 59m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:37 AM8:07 AM5:23 PM9h 16m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:24 AM7:54 AM5:45 PM9h 51m

Computed for 43.706, -99.115 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day forecast for Brule 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 Brule County

Lake Andes WMD

Charles Mix County, SD

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

15.1K huntable acres

Neighboring counties with WPAs

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