Leopold WMD
Columbia County, WI
✓1 open✕2 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣
13.8K huntable acres
County guide · Wisconsin · WI WPAs
Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in Columbia County, WI
Columbia County has 13 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 3,889 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Baraboo River WPA at 950 acres; the average tract is about 299 acres, and 2 are smaller than 80 acres.
WPAs here are managed by the Leopold Wetland Management District, which sets any district-specific rules (vehicle access, blinds, nontoxic shot, closed areas).
The county covers about 796 square miles and has roughly 58,490 residents. WPAs make up about 0.8% of its land area.
13named WPAs
3.9Kacres of WPA land
950largest WPA (ac)
1refuges & districts
Map of WPAs in Columbia 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 Columbia County
| WPA | Acres | Nearest town | GPS | Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baraboo River WPA 942 deeded ac |
950 | 30 mi N of Madison | 43.50201, -89.49662 |
Map · Directions |
| Schoeneberg Marsh WPA | 735 | 20 mi N of Madison | 43.34969, -89.30337 |
Map · Directions |
| Becker WPA | 357 | 34 mi N of Madison | 43.56310, -89.31356 |
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| Manthey WPA | 352 | 28 mi N of Madison | 43.44100, -89.19573 |
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| Hinkson Creek WPA | 337 | 24 mi N of Madison | 43.42119, -89.40731 |
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| Rowe WPA | 334 | 25 mi N of Madison | 43.42018, -89.31920 |
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| Severson WPA | 251 | 24 mi NE of Madison | 43.38222, -89.17354 |
Map · Directions |
| Becker Lake WPA | 152 | 38 mi N of Madison | 43.61216, -89.26007 |
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| WPA 2 WPA | 127 | 33 mi N of Madison | 43.53059, -89.58556 |
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| Anderson WPA | 125 | 18 mi N of Madison | 43.31252, -89.27271 |
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| Vangen WPA | 81 | 25 mi NE of Madison | 43.39300, -89.17181 |
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| Doylestown WPA | 54 | 28 mi NE of Madison | 43.43256, -89.15816 |
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| Ludwig WPA | 33 | 28 mi N of Madison | 43.44711, -89.20828 |
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 Columbia County: rules & tips
Typically allowed
- Hunting waterfowl, upland birds, deer and other game in season under Wisconsin 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 Columbia 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, WI28 mi — county center is N of town
- Fond du Lac, WI48 mi — county center is SW of town
- Oshkosh, WI54 mi — county center is SW of town
- Necedah, WI55 mi — county center is SE of town
Shooting hours in Columbia County
Today at Columbia 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 | 5:50 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:35 PM | 13h 15m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:05 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:09 PM | 12h 35m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 6:23 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:40 PM | 11h 47m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 6:39 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:16 PM | 11h 06m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:01 AM | 6:31 AM | 4:50 PM | 10h 19m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 6:20 AM | 6:50 AM | 4:34 PM | 9h 44m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 6:39 AM | 7:09 AM | 4:23 PM | 9h 13m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:21 PM | 8h 59m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 6:59 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:30 PM | 9h 00m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 6:57 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:44 PM | 9h 17m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 6:44 AM | 7:14 AM | 5:06 PM | 9h 52m |
Computed for 43.468, -89.303 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.
7-day forecast for Columbia 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 Columbia County
Refuge hunt units in Columbia County
| Unit | Refuge | Status | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| WPA Open | Leopold WMD | ✓Open | 13,841 |
Neighboring counties with WPAs
- Adams County, WI 1 WPAs · 343 ac
- Dane County, WI 10 WPAs · 1.8K ac
- Dodge County, WI 4 WPAs · 812 ac
- Marquette County, WI 3 WPAs · 394 ac
- Sauk County, WI 1 WPAs · 239 ac
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.