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 Minnehaha County, SD
Minnehaha County has 22 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 4,671 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Buffalo Lake WPA at 1,116 acres; the average tract is about 212 acres, and 2 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 814 square miles and has roughly 197,214 residents. WPAs make up about 0.9% of its land area.
22named WPAs
4.7Kacres of WPA land
1,116largest WPA (ac)
1refuges & districts
Map of WPAs in Minnehaha 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 Minnehaha County
| WPA | Acres | Nearest town | GPS | Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Lake WPA 1,100 deeded ac |
1,116 | 13 mi S of Madison | 43.83170, -97.04601 |
Map · Directions |
| Kindt/Munce WPA | 495 | 20 mi W of Sioux Falls | 43.61609, -97.12429 |
Map · Directions |
| Wise/Becker WPA 311 deeded ac |
318 | 20 mi NW of Sioux Falls | 43.67313, -97.07958 |
Map · Directions |
| Jordan WPA | 266 | 14 mi W of Sioux Falls | 43.53117, -97.00468 |
Map · Directions |
| Delbridge WPA | 205 | 13 mi W of Sioux Falls | 43.51721, -96.99567 |
Map · Directions |
| Johnson WPA | 200 | 19 mi W of Sioux Falls | 43.58316, -97.10437 |
Map · Directions |
| Lee Hofer WPA | 181 | 21 mi NW of Sioux Falls | 43.69410, -97.08455 |
Map · Directions |
| Lost Lake WPA | 166 | 19 mi NW of Sioux Falls | 43.68023, -97.05219 |
Map · Directions |
| Costello WPA | 161 | 11 mi W of Sioux Falls | 43.56302, -96.95631 |
Map · Directions |
| Voelker II WPA | 161 | 21 mi S of Madison | 43.70676, -97.11459 |
Map · Directions |
| Hartle WPA | 157 | 19 mi W of Sioux Falls | 43.60592, -97.09448 |
Map · Directions |
| Clear Lake WPA 124 deeded ac |
155 | 17 mi S of Madison | 43.77032, -97.00527 |
Map · Directions |
| Schaefer WPA | 149 | 14 mi S of Madison | 43.81693, -97.03548 |
Map · Directions |
| Fensterman WPA | 145 | 14 mi W of Sioux Falls | 43.55860, -97.00280 |
Map · Directions |
| Island Lake WPA 127 deeded ac |
139 | 14 mi S of Madison | 43.80164, -97.12426 |
Map · Directions |
| Andrews WPA | 130 | 16 mi SE of Madison | 43.82417, -96.92487 |
Map · Directions |
| Petri II WPA | 129 | 21 mi NW of Sioux Falls | 43.68599, -97.09812 |
Map · Directions |
| Graham WPA | 99 | 12 mi S of Madison | 43.83086, -97.11953 |
Map · Directions |
| Acheson WPA | 97 | 15 mi S of Madison | 43.80169, -97.06258 |
Map · Directions |
| Voelker I WPA | 83 | 17 mi NW of Sioux Falls | 43.63983, -97.03803 |
Map · Directions |
| Petri I WPA | 68 | 17 mi W of Sioux Falls | 43.57703, -97.06188 |
Map · Directions |
| Jorgenson WPA | 49 | 18 mi SE of Madison | 43.80766, -96.88349 |
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 Minnehaha 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 Minnehaha 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.
- Sioux Falls, SD9.7 mi — county center is N of town
- Madison, SD28 mi — county center is SE of town
- Brookings, SD44 mi — county center is S of town
- Mitchell, SD62 mi — county center is E of town
Shooting hours in Minnehaha County
Today at Minnehaha 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 | 8:05 PM | 13h 16m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:35 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:39 PM | 12h 35m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:10 PM | 11h 47m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 7:09 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:45 PM | 11h 06m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:31 AM | 7:01 AM | 5:19 PM | 10h 18m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 5:03 PM | 9h 43m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 7:10 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:52 PM | 9h 12m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:23 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:51 PM | 8h 58m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 7:30 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:59 PM | 8h 59m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 7:27 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:13 PM | 9h 16m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 7:14 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:36 PM | 9h 51m |
Computed for 43.673, -96.793 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.
7-day forecast for Minnehaha 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 Minnehaha County
Refuge hunt units in Minnehaha County
| Unit | Refuge | Status | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| WPA Open | Madison WMD | ✓Open | 43,871 |
Neighboring counties with WPAs
- Lake County, SD 37 WPAs · 6.3K ac
- Lincoln County, SD 2 WPAs · 179 ac
- McCook County, SD 27 WPAs · 3.4K ac
- Moody County, SD 15 WPAs · 3.2K ac
- Turner County, SD 3 WPAs · 993 ac
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.