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 Hamlin County, SD
Hamlin County has 20 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 3,423 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Preston WPA at 447 acres; the average tract is about 171 acres, and 6 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 536 square miles and has roughly 6,164 residents. WPAs make up about 1.0% of its land area.
20named WPAs
3.4Kacres of WPA land
447largest WPA (ac)
2refuges & districts
Map of WPAs in Hamlin 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 Hamlin County
| WPA | Acres | Nearest town | GPS | Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preston WPA 441 deeded ac |
447 | 15 mi S of Watertown | 44.67904, -97.16102 |
Map · Directions |
| Cox WPA | 442 | 13 mi S of Watertown | 44.71244, -97.12286 |
Map · Directions |
| Lake Marsh WPA | 360 | 19 mi S of Watertown | 44.63922, -97.25664 |
Map · Directions |
| Peterson WPA | 338 | 29 mi SW of Watertown | 44.56200, -97.45748 |
Map · Directions |
| Rider WPA | 299 | 18 mi SW of Watertown | 44.77996, -97.44099 |
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| Giedd WPA | 244 | 19 mi W of Watertown | 44.79310, -97.48280 |
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| Halligan WPA | 239 | 28 mi SW of Watertown | 44.56017, -97.44171 |
Map · Directions |
| Juntunen WPA | 181 | 22 mi SW of Watertown | 44.66314, -97.41609 |
Map · Directions |
| LaClair WPA | 161 | 21 mi SW of Watertown | 44.73364, -97.48149 |
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| Anderson WPA | 150 | 25 mi SW of Watertown | 44.59058, -97.36585 |
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| Wayrynen WPA | 101 | 14 mi S of Watertown | 44.70049, -97.10271 |
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| Opdahl WPA | 89 | 16 mi SW of Watertown | 44.70515, -97.28164 |
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| Boeder WPA | 81 | 21 mi NW of Brookings | 44.57083, -97.02219 |
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| Kramer WPA | 81 | 24 mi SW of Watertown | 44.67585, -97.49711 |
Map · Directions |
| Abraham WPA | 50 | 20 mi SW of Watertown | 44.74721, -97.47493 |
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| Liljegren WPA | 41 | 22 mi NW of Brookings | 44.57093, -97.03926 |
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| Struckman III WPA | 39 | 16 mi SW of Watertown | 44.78420, -97.39555 |
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| Struckman II WPA | 35 | 12 mi SW of Watertown | 44.77605, -97.28712 |
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| Struckman I WPA | 33 | 16 mi SW of Watertown | 44.79916, -97.41686 |
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| Kangas WPA | 16 | 21 mi NW of Brookings | 44.54429, -97.05594 |
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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 Hamlin 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 Hamlin 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, SD16 mi — county center is S of town
- Brookings, SD32 mi — county center is NW of town
- Madison, SD46 mi — county center is N of town
- Huron, SD54 mi — county center is NE of town
Shooting hours in Hamlin County
Today at Hamlin 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 | 6:20 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:08 PM | 13h 18m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:36 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:42 PM | 12h 36m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:11 PM | 11h 47m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 7:12 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:46 PM | 11h 04m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:35 AM | 7:05 AM | 5:19 PM | 10h 14m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:02 PM | 9h 38m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 7:15 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:50 PM | 9h 06m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:28 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:49 PM | 8h 50m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 7:35 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:57 PM | 8h 52m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 7:32 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:12 PM | 9h 10m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 7:18 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:35 PM | 9h 46m |
Computed for 44.671, -97.193 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.
7-day forecast for Hamlin 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 Hamlin County
Neighboring counties with WPAs
- Brookings County, SD 26 WPAs · 6.6K ac
- Clark County, SD 28 WPAs · 6.1K ac
- Codington County, SD 27 WPAs · 6.1K ac
- Deuel County, SD 22 WPAs · 2.8K ac
- Kingsbury County, SD 34 WPAs · 7.3K ac
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.