County guide · Wisconsin · WI WPAs

Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in Sauk County, WI

Sauk County has 1 named Waterfowl Production Area covering 239 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land.

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 850 square miles and has roughly 65,763 residents. WPAs make up about 0.0% of its land area.

County mapAll 1 WPAsDownload KML
1named WPAs
239acres of WPA land
239largest WPA (ac)
1refuges & districts

Map of WPAs in Sauk 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 Sauk County

WPAAcresNearest townGPSGo
Fairfield Marsh WPA 239 31 mi NW of Madison 43.47073, -89.65505 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 Sauk 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 Sauk 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, WI37 mi — county center is NW of town
  • Necedah, WI40 mi — county center is S of town
  • La Crosse, WI71 mi — county center is E of town
  • Fond du Lac, WI76 mi — county center is W of town

Shooting hours in Sauk County

Today at Sauk 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, 20265:52 AM6:22 AM7:37 PM13h 15m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:07 AM6:37 AM7:12 PM12h 35m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:25 AM6:55 AM6:42 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20266:41 AM7:11 AM6:18 PM11h 06m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:03 AM6:33 AM4:52 PM10h 19m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:22 AM6:52 AM4:36 PM9h 44m
Tue, Dec 1, 20266:42 AM7:12 AM4:25 PM9h 13m
Tue, Dec 15, 20266:55 AM7:25 AM4:24 PM8h 59m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:02 AM7:32 AM4:32 PM9h 00m
Fri, Jan 15, 20276:59 AM7:29 AM4:46 PM9h 17m
Mon, Feb 1, 20276:46 AM7:16 AM5:08 PM9h 52m

Computed for 43.468, -89.896 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day forecast for Sauk 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 Sauk County

Leopold WMD

Columbia County, WI

1 open2 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

13.8K huntable acres

Neighboring counties with WPAs

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