County guide · South Dakota · SD WPAs

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

McPherson County has 61 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 20,990 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Perch Lake WPA at 2,039 acres; the average tract is about 344 acres, and 9 are smaller than 80 acres.

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

The county covers about 1,148 square miles and has roughly 2,411 residents. WPAs make up about 2.9% of its land area.

County mapAll 61 WPAsDownload KML
61named WPAs
21Kacres of WPA land
2,039largest WPA (ac)
2refuges & districts

Map of WPAs in McPherson 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 McPherson County

Largest WPAs (acres)
Perch Lake WPA
2,039 ac
Adam-Giener WPA
1,187 ac
Bergdorf WPA
1,087 ac
Anderson-Vilhauer WPA
875 ac
Heyd Lake WPA
764 ac
Haerter WPA
721 ac
Helfenstein-Opp WPA
681 ac
Shafer-Shafer Hoffman WPA
652 ac
Noble WPA
631 ac
Job-Anderson WPA
574 ac
Eureka Demonstration Area WPA
534 ac
Long Lake WPA
514 ac
How big are the tracts? (number of WPAs by acres)
<40: 22<4040–80: 7740–8080–160: 9980–160160–320: 1616160–320320+: 2727320+
WPAAcresNearest townGPSGo
Perch Lake WPA 2,039 36 mi W of Aberdeen 45.65420, -99.18523 Map · Directions
Adam-Giener WPA 1,187 38 mi W of Aberdeen 45.65251, -99.21885 Map · Directions
Bergdorf WPA
1,080 deeded ac		 1,087 50 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.91528, -99.29171 Map · Directions
Anderson-Vilhauer WPA
880 deeded ac		 875 44 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.72504, -99.31194 Map · Directions
Heyd Lake WPA 764 44 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.90934, -99.13654 Map · Directions
Haerter WPA 721 47 mi W of Aberdeen 45.65976, -99.41507 Map · Directions
Helfenstein-Opp WPA 681 50 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.82125, -99.38922 Map · Directions
Shafer-Shafer Hoffman WPA 652 39 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.85714, -99.07735 Map · Directions
Noble WPA 631 41 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.82791, -99.16742 Map · Directions
Job-Anderson WPA 574 47 mi W of Aberdeen 45.70526, -99.39933 Map · Directions
Eureka Demonstration Area WPA 534 42 mi NE of Mobridge 45.78682, -99.63820 Map · Directions
Long Lake WPA 514 46 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.84942, -99.25542 Map · Directions
Burrer-Pheifle WPA 507 46 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.77041, -99.32489 Map · Directions
Shafer WPA 499 42 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.87757, -99.10800 Map · Directions
Imberi WPA 466 41 mi E of Mobridge 45.61315, -99.58837 Map · Directions
Klooz WPA 407 44 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.82084, -99.25271 Map · Directions
Burrer-Schnabel WPA
393 deeded ac		 400 46 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.73412, -99.35031 Map · Directions
Mehlhaff I WPA 385 41 mi E of Mobridge 45.71627, -99.61186 Map · Directions
Feickert WPA 365 38 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.86405, -99.03067 Map · Directions
Woehlhaff-Schnabel WPA 356 46 mi E of Mobridge 45.70900, -99.50940 Map · Directions
Hirsch Lake WPA 354 44 mi NE of Mobridge 45.83060, -99.62749 Map · Directions
Rath WPA 347 43 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.88131, -99.13813 Map · Directions
Charley-Harley WPA 341 36 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.68146, -99.17495 Map · Directions
Buntrock WPA 332 45 mi W of Aberdeen 45.69437, -99.35415 Map · Directions
Rau Lake WPA 331 42 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.89282, -99.09960 Map · Directions
Dan Ashe WPA
320 deeded ac		 325 39 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.74478, -99.18549 Map · Directions
Ehresman WPA 325 43 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.91552, -99.09386 Map · Directions
Mehlhaff II WPA 319 42 mi E of Mobridge 45.70193, -99.59889 Map · Directions
Swisher WPA 317 46 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.93285, -99.15481 Map · Directions
Schnabel-Hoff WPA 299 47 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.74512, -99.38245 Map · Directions
Hausauer Lake WPA 282 43 mi NE of Mobridge 45.85053, -99.65087 Map · Directions
West WPA 241 37 mi W of Aberdeen 45.60892, -99.21626 Map · Directions
Hoffman-Gottleib WPA 241 36 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.79832, -99.06477 Map · Directions
Dockter WPA 240 41 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.91477, -99.02299 Map · Directions
Bauer-Fischer WPA 234 39 mi E of Mobridge 45.72185, -99.66868 Map · Directions
Wacker WPA
210 deeded ac		 200 38 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.86949, -99.02810 Map · Directions
Lapp WPA 188 44 mi E of Mobridge 45.65472, -99.53774 Map · Directions
Kempf WPA 176 37 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.74200, -99.14383 Map · Directions
Pulfrey WPA 166 40 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.69811, -99.25261 Map · Directions
Seventh Day Adventist WPA 161 37 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.69769, -99.17491 Map · Directions
Cantwell WPA 161 38 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.76996, -99.13371 Map · Directions
10/45 WPA 160 48 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.77867, -99.37108 Map · Directions
Mettler WPA 160 53 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.87930, -99.41253 Map · Directions
Rath-Opp WPA 146 47 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.91295, -99.21672 Map · Directions
Highland WPA 120 42 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.79671, -99.20258 Map · Directions
Schell WPA 120 42 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.74847, -99.25649 Map · Directions
Kary WPA 120 47 mi E of Mobridge 45.76241, -99.51855 Map · Directions
Stuglemayer WPA 108 50 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.93494, -99.26572 Map · Directions
Schmitt Ranch WPA 85 37 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.83320, -99.03569 Map · Directions
Rau WPA 80 42 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.89128, -99.10534 Map · Directions
Mohr WPA 80 43 mi W of Aberdeen 45.60911, -99.35096 Map · Directions
Neuharth WPA 80 49 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.78506, -99.38919 Map · Directions
Opp-Ehley WPA 78 47 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.92348, -99.21257 Map · Directions
Stateline WPA 73 47 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.93858, -99.19147 Map · Directions
Schultz-Reinhold WPA 71 38 mi E of Mobridge 45.65377, -99.66502 Map · Directions
Nehlich WPA 70 40 mi E of Mobridge 45.72061, -99.64665 Map · Directions
Eureka Grazing Association WPA 55 44 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.74691, -99.30573 Map · Directions
Raile WPA 54 40 mi E of Mobridge 45.71063, -99.63764 Map · Directions
Schumacher WPA 41 44 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.80772, -99.25291 Map · Directions
Highway 10 WPA
46 deeded ac		 39 46 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.76500, -99.32747 Map · Directions
Hoffman-Gerard WPA 30 44 mi NW of Aberdeen 45.91978, -99.12227 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 McPherson 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 McPherson 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, SD41 mi — county center is NW of town
  • Mobridge, SD60 mi — county center is E of town
  • Jamestown, ND83 mi — county center is S of town
  • Valley City, ND99 mi — county center is SW of town

Shooting hours in McPherson County

Today at McPherson 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, 20266:26 AM6:56 AM8:17 PM13h 21m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:43 AM7:13 AM7:50 PM12h 37m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:03 AM7:33 AM7:19 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:21 AM7:51 AM6:53 PM11h 01m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:45 AM7:15 AM5:25 PM10h 10m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:05 AM7:35 AM5:07 PM9h 32m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:27 AM7:57 AM4:55 PM8h 58m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:40 AM8:10 AM4:53 PM8h 42m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:47 AM8:17 AM5:01 PM8h 44m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:44 AM8:14 AM5:16 PM9h 03m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:29 AM7:59 AM5:40 PM9h 41m

Computed for 45.769, -99.226 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day forecast for McPherson 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 McPherson County

Kulm WMD

LaMoure County, ND

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

45.1K huntable acres

Sand Lake WMD

Brown County, SD

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

44.5K huntable acres

Refuge hunt units in McPherson County

UnitRefugeStatusAcres
WPA OpenSand Lake WMDOpen44,493

Neighboring counties with WPAs

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