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 McCook County, SD
McCook County has 27 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 3,369 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Hyde WPA at 321 acres; the average tract is about 125 acres, and 9 are smaller than 80 acres.
WPAs here are managed by the Madison Wetland Management District, which sets any district-specific rules (vehicle access, blinds, nontoxic shot, closed areas).
The county covers about 580 square miles and has roughly 5,682 residents. WPAs make up about 0.9% of its land area.
27named WPAs
3.4Kacres of WPA land
321largest WPA (ac)
1refuges & districts
Map of WPAs in McCook 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 McCook County
| WPA | Acres | Nearest town | GPS | Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyde WPA | 321 | 30 mi E of Mitchell | 43.59763, -97.45808 |
Map · Directions |
| Lukes WPA | 277 | 21 mi W of Sioux Falls | 43.60849, -97.14265 |
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| Janssen WPA | 239 | 24 mi E of Mitchell | 43.65333, -97.55827 |
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| Schuldt WPA | 234 | 25 mi E of Mitchell | 43.69299, -97.52678 |
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| Sabers WPA | 211 | 27 mi SW of Madison | 43.70629, -97.46351 |
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| Lions Lake WPA | 184 | 27 mi E of Mitchell | 43.63025, -97.50074 |
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| MacKenzie WPA | 164 | 24 mi E of Mitchell | 43.71350, -97.54173 |
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| Reif WPA | 162 | 27 mi SW of Madison | 43.72088, -97.46402 |
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| Island Lake WPA | 160 | 15 mi S of Madison | 43.80075, -97.13405 |
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| DeNeui WPA | 157 | 24 mi W of Sioux Falls | 43.61931, -97.20369 |
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| Hamaker WPA | 116 | 24 mi E of Mitchell | 43.68552, -97.55018 |
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| Lounsbery WPA | 114 | 24 mi S of Madison | 43.67760, -97.25945 |
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| Holm WPA | 109 | 26 mi E of Mitchell | 43.75123, -97.50556 |
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| Huls WPA | 103 | 23 mi E of Mitchell | 43.81688, -97.59444 |
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| Schimmel WPA | 99 | 27 mi E of Mitchell | 43.70459, -97.49391 |
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| Gottlob WPA | 96 | 28 mi E of Mitchell | 43.66795, -97.47336 |
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| Krier WPA | 86 | 33 mi E of Mitchell | 43.53362, -97.41092 |
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| Bank WPA | 82 | 20 mi W of Sioux Falls | 43.57786, -97.13182 |
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| Garrett WPA | 79 | 23 mi S of Madison | 43.70607, -97.27607 |
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| Heckenliable WPA | 76 | 29 mi E of Mitchell | 43.59052, -97.47078 |
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| Urell WPA | 60 | 25 mi E of Mitchell | 43.65604, -97.54461 |
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| Herting WPA | 60 | 29 mi SW of Madison | 43.66046, -97.43344 |
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| Hamilton WPA | 50 | 27 mi E of Mitchell | 43.72118, -97.49900 |
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| Morris WPA | 44 | 13 mi S of Madison | 43.82778, -97.14154 |
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| Melbrech WPA | 41 | 28 mi W of Sioux Falls | 43.53841, -97.29599 |
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| Kappenman WPA | 26 | 14 mi S of Madison | 43.80895, -97.15029 |
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| Anderson WPA | 20 | 33 mi W of Sioux Falls | 43.57038, -97.38866 |
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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 McCook 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 McCook 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.
- Madison, SD27 mi — county center is SW of town
- Mitchell, SD33 mi — county center is E of town
- Sioux Falls, SD33 mi — county center is W of town
- Brookings, SD52 mi — county center is SW of town
Shooting hours in McCook County
Today at McCook 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 | 6:22 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:07 PM | 13h 16m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:37 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:42 PM | 12h 35m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:12 PM | 11h 47m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 7:12 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:48 PM | 11h 06m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:34 AM | 7:04 AM | 5:22 PM | 10h 18m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:05 PM | 9h 43m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 7:12 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:54 PM | 9h 12m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:25 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:53 PM | 8h 58m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 7:32 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:01 PM | 8h 59m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 7:30 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:16 PM | 9h 16m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 7:16 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:38 PM | 9h 51m |
Computed for 43.672, -97.370 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.
7-day forecast for McCook 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 McCook County
Neighboring counties with WPAs
- Hanson County, SD 5 WPAs · 888 ac
- Hutchinson County, SD 5 WPAs · 784 ac
- Lake County, SD 37 WPAs · 6.3K ac
- Minnehaha County, SD 22 WPAs · 4.7K ac
- Turner County, SD 3 WPAs · 993 ac
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.