Madison WMD
Lake County, SD
✓1 open!1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣
44K huntable acres
County guide · South Dakota · SD WPAs
Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in Codington County, SD
Codington County has 27 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 6,148 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Huppler-Springer WPA at 725 acres; the average tract is about 228 acres, and 5 are smaller than 80 acres.
WPAs here are managed by the Madison Wetland Management District and Waubay Wetland Management District, which set any district-specific rules (vehicle access, blinds, nontoxic shot, closed areas).
The county covers about 717 square miles and has roughly 28,325 residents. WPAs make up about 1.3% of its land area.
27named WPAs
6.1Kacres of WPA land
725largest WPA (ac)
2refuges & districts
Map of WPAs in Codington 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.
Loading interactive map…
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 Codington County
| WPA | Acres | Nearest town | GPS | Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huppler-Springer WPA 769 deeded ac |
725 | 17 mi NW of Watertown | 45.07265, -97.35847 |
Map · Directions |
| Roe WPA 720 deeded ac |
715 | 19 mi NW of Watertown | 45.02514, -97.46341 |
Map · Directions |
| Horseshoe Lake WPA 617 deeded ac |
669 | 12 mi NW of Watertown | 44.97258, -97.33785 |
Map · Directions |
| Bursvold-Darling WPA | 444 | 16 mi NW of Watertown | 44.99948, -97.40965 |
Map · Directions |
| Overland WPA | 391 | 19 mi NE of Watertown | 45.13172, -96.91939 |
Map · Directions |
| L. Johnson WPA | 297 | 13 mi NW of Watertown | 45.00699, -97.34098 |
Map · Directions |
| Warner Lake WPA | 265 | 20 mi NW of Watertown | 45.01522, -97.48563 |
Map · Directions |
| Thompson WPA | 227 | 16 mi N of Watertown | 45.12760, -97.20069 |
Map · Directions |
| David WPA | 209 | 17 mi W of Watertown | 44.96728, -97.46179 |
Map · Directions |
| Elmore WPA | 193 | 21 mi NW of Watertown | 45.04526, -97.48878 |
Map · Directions |
| Bruflat WPA | 193 | 21 mi NW of Watertown | 45.06861, -97.48298 |
Map · Directions |
| Rassmussen WPA | 182 | 18 mi NW of Watertown | 45.04084, -97.42874 |
Map · Directions |
| Pointed Roe WPA | 178 | 14 mi NW of Watertown | 44.97585, -97.37524 |
Map · Directions |
| School Quater WPA | 163 | 19 mi NW of Watertown | 45.03966, -97.44806 |
Map · Directions |
| Peterson WPA | 161 | 19 mi NW of Watertown | 45.04697, -97.45832 |
Map · Directions |
| Moe WPA | 160 | 16 mi NW of Watertown | 45.09723, -97.27482 |
Map · Directions |
| Coplan WPA | 159 | 8.6 mi W of Watertown | 44.94506, -97.28470 |
Map · Directions |
| McClung WPA | 152 | 19 mi NW of Watertown | 45.08368, -97.41195 |
Map · Directions |
| Owen WPA | 139 | 18 mi W of Watertown | 44.95344, -97.48613 |
Map · Directions |
| Swan WPA | 137 | 9.7 mi W of Watertown | 44.90889, -97.31689 |
Map · Directions |
| Orthaus WPA | 120 | 13 mi NW of Watertown | 45.00111, -97.35118 |
Map · Directions |
| Neal WPA | 81 | 18 mi NW of Watertown | 45.13341, -97.26716 |
Map · Directions |
| Halse-Grygiel WPA | 77 | 16 mi NW of Watertown | 45.09269, -97.30694 |
Map · Directions |
| Arneson WPA | 56 | 12 mi SW of Watertown | 44.80255, -97.32507 |
Map · Directions |
| Burnstad WPA | 49 | 19 mi NW of Watertown | 45.09571, -97.38406 |
Map · Directions |
| U.s.(1) WPA 31 deeded ac |
3.8 | 8.0 mi NW of Watertown | 44.96412, -97.25703 |
Map · Directions |
| U.S.(1a) WPA | 1.9 | 10 mi NW of Watertown | 44.96366, -97.31397 |
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 Codington 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 Codington 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.
- Watertown, SD12 mi — county center is N of town
- Brookings, SD56 mi — county center is N of town
- Aberdeen, SD69 mi — county center is SE of town
- Huron, SD70 mi — county center is NE of town
Shooting hours in Codington County
Today at Codington 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 | 6:19 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:08 PM | 13h 19m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:35 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:42 PM | 12h 36m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:11 PM | 11h 46m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 7:12 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:45 PM | 11h 03m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:36 AM | 7:06 AM | 5:18 PM | 10h 13m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 5:01 PM | 9h 36m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 7:16 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:49 PM | 9h 03m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:30 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:47 PM | 8h 48m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 7:37 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:56 PM | 8h 49m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 7:33 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:11 PM | 9h 07m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 7:19 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:34 PM | 9h 45m |
Computed for 45.063, -97.193 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.
7-day forecast for Codington 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 Codington County
Neighboring counties with WPAs
- Clark County, SD 28 WPAs · 6.1K ac
- Day County, SD 49 WPAs · 7.3K ac
- Deuel County, SD 22 WPAs · 2.8K ac
- Grant County, SD 25 WPAs · 5.8K ac
- Hamlin County, SD 20 WPAs · 3.4K ac
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.