Waubay WMD
Day County, SD
✓1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣
41.1K huntable acres
County guide · South Dakota · SD WPAs
Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in Marshall County, SD
Marshall County has 36 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 11,264 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Cottonwood Lake WPA at 1,278 acres; the average tract is about 313 acres, and 8 are smaller than 80 acres.
WPAs here are managed by the Waubay Wetland Management District, which sets any district-specific rules (vehicle access, blinds, nontoxic shot, closed areas).
The county covers about 879 square miles and has roughly 4,306 residents. WPAs make up about 2.0% of its land area.
36named WPAs
11.3Kacres of WPA land
1,278largest WPA (ac)
1refuges & districts
Map of WPAs in Marshall 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 Marshall County
| WPA | Acres | Nearest town | GPS | Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottonwood Lake WPA 1,298 deeded ac |
1,278 | 54 mi SW of Wahpeton | 45.74857, -97.43588 |
Map · Directions |
| Jensen WPA | 1,151 | 47 mi E of Aberdeen | 45.59493, -97.53944 |
Map · Directions |
| Lake Emma WPA 987 deeded ac |
1,024 | 51 mi SW of Wahpeton | 45.67075, -97.23759 |
Map · Directions |
| North Red Iron Lake WPA 919 deeded ac |
928 | 52 mi SW of Wahpeton | 45.69444, -97.30557 |
Map · Directions |
| Ruckdaschel WPA 805 deeded ac |
823 | 48 mi SW of Wahpeton | 45.78722, -97.33394 |
Map · Directions |
| Peterson Memorial WPA 640 deeded ac |
647 | 50 mi N of Watertown | 45.60788, -97.33828 |
Map · Directions |
| Lcfj WPA | 558 | 43 mi E of Aberdeen | 45.59495, -97.61838 |
Map · Directions |
| Abraham Lake WPA | 469 | 48 mi SW of Wahpeton | 45.81496, -97.37530 |
Map · Directions |
| Ringer WPA 420 deeded ac |
407 | 51 mi SW of Wahpeton | 45.80887, -97.44467 |
Map · Directions |
| Rolstad WPA | 405 | 49 mi SW of Wahpeton | 45.72397, -97.25316 |
Map · Directions |
| North LaMee WPA | 400 | 52 mi NE of Aberdeen | 45.82127, -97.53417 |
Map · Directions |
| Stink Slough WPA | 399 | 52 mi NE of Aberdeen | 45.75405, -97.49969 |
Map · Directions |
| South LaMee WPA | 363 | 52 mi NE of Aberdeen | 45.80541, -97.53026 |
Map · Directions |
| Deutsch WPA | 321 | 50 mi E of Aberdeen | 45.62567, -97.47382 |
Map · Directions |
| Week WPA | 163 | 50 mi SW of Wahpeton | 45.69770, -97.23248 |
Map · Directions |
| Strand WPA | 161 | 52 mi SW of Wahpeton | 45.76582, -97.41851 |
Map · Directions |
| Buss WPA | 160 | 50 mi SW of Wahpeton | 45.86649, -97.48600 |
Map · Directions |
| Gerber WPA | 157 | 46 mi N of Watertown | 45.56064, -97.29560 |
Map · Directions |
| Olson WPA | 149 | 48 mi SW of Wahpeton | 45.80918, -97.34686 |
Map · Directions |
| Buffalo Lake WPA | 148 | 50 mi N of Watertown | 45.61900, -97.24746 |
Map · Directions |
| East Keintz WPA 40 deeded ac |
134 | 50 mi N of Watertown | 45.59599, -97.41706 |
Map · Directions |
| Little Ruckdaschel WPA 143 deeded ac |
133 | 50 mi SW of Wahpeton | 45.76920, -97.34912 |
Map · Directions |
| East Guy WPA 80 deeded ac |
124 | 49 mi SW of Wahpeton | 45.78930, -97.35668 |
Map · Directions |
| Fagerland WPA | 84 | 46 mi E of Aberdeen | 45.64375, -97.57188 |
Map · Directions |
| Hilleson WPA | 83 | 51 mi SW of Wahpeton | 45.74581, -97.35978 |
Map · Directions |
| Bahr WPA | 83 | 49 mi SW of Wahpeton | 45.76287, -97.31583 |
Map · Directions |
| Syverson WPA | 81 | 50 mi SW of Wahpeton | 45.88121, -97.49332 |
Map · Directions |
| Little Hinman WPA | 80 | 53 mi SW of Wahpeton | 45.75131, -97.41084 |
Map · Directions |
| Silver Lake WPA 120 deeded ac |
78 | 51 mi SW of Wahpeton | 45.83014, -97.46282 |
Map · Directions |
| Horseshoe Lake WPA 37 deeded ac |
71 | 50 mi SW of Wahpeton | 45.83045, -97.44756 |
Map · Directions |
| Likness WPA | 47 | 42 mi E of Aberdeen | 45.59378, -97.64621 |
Map · Directions |
| S. Ottertail WPA | 40 | 50 mi E of Aberdeen | 45.60754, -97.47634 |
Map · Directions |
| West Keintz WPA 134 deeded ac |
40 | 51 mi N of Watertown | 45.60752, -97.44026 |
Map · Directions |
| Osterman WPA | 39 | 50 mi SW of Wahpeton | 45.73459, -97.31751 |
Map · Directions |
| Little Hauk WPA | 20 | 45 mi E of Aberdeen | 45.63655, -97.58859 |
Map · Directions |
| U.s.(1) WPA | 17 | 46 mi E of Aberdeen | 45.69440, -97.59011 |
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 Marshall 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 Marshall 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, SD48 mi — county center is NE of town
- Wahpeton, ND59 mi — county center is SW of town
- Watertown, SD64 mi — county center is N of town
- Fergus Falls, MN82 mi — county center is SW of town
Shooting hours in Marshall County
Today at Marshall 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 | 8:11 PM | 13h 21m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:37 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:44 PM | 12h 37m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 6:56 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:12 PM | 11h 46m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 7:15 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:46 PM | 11h 02m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:39 AM | 7:09 AM | 5:18 PM | 10h 10m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 6:59 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:01 PM | 9h 32m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 7:20 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:48 PM | 8h 58m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:34 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:46 PM | 8h 42m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 7:41 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:55 PM | 8h 44m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 7:37 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:10 PM | 9h 03m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 7:23 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:34 PM | 9h 41m |
Computed for 45.760, -97.605 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.
7-day forecast for Marshall 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 Marshall County
Refuge hunt units in Marshall County
| Unit | Refuge | Status | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| WPA Open | Waubay WMD | ✓Open | 41,098 |
Neighboring counties with WPAs
- Brown County, SD 22 WPAs · 4.7K ac
- Day County, SD 49 WPAs · 7.3K ac
- Richland County, ND 22 WPAs · 6.5K ac
- Roberts County, SD 31 WPAs · 4.8K ac
- Sargent County, ND 18 WPAs · 5.2K ac
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.