St. Croix WMD
St. Croix County, WI
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8.9K huntable acres
County guide · Wisconsin · WI WPAs
Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in St. Croix County, WI
St. Croix County has 28 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 6,505 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Oak Ridge WPA at 632 acres; the average tract is about 232 acres, and 8 are smaller than 80 acres.
WPAs here are managed by the ST. Croix Wetland Management District, which sets any district-specific rules (vehicle access, blinds, nontoxic shot, closed areas).
The county covers about 735 square miles and has roughly 93,536 residents. WPAs make up about 1.4% of its land area.
28named WPAs
6.5Kacres of WPA land
632largest WPA (ac)
1refuges & districts
Map of WPAs in St. Croix 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 St. Croix County
| WPA | Acres | Nearest town | GPS | Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Ridge WPA 648 deeded ac |
632 | 33 mi NE of St. Paul | 45.17678, -92.49294 |
Map · Directions |
| Ten Mile WPA | 516 | 26 mi E of St. Paul | 45.06093, -92.57807 |
Map · Directions |
| Prairie Flats - South WPA | 501 | 27 mi NE of St. Paul | 45.18789, -92.64625 |
Map · Directions |
| Betterly WPA | 485 | 32 mi E of St. Paul | 45.10922, -92.47380 |
Map · Directions |
| Erickson WPA 489 deeded ac |
476 | 31 mi NE of St. Paul | 45.14263, -92.50516 |
Map · Directions |
| Bass Lake WPA | 423 | 24 mi NE of St. Paul | 45.08605, -92.64528 |
Map · Directions |
| Stanton Prairie WPA | 353 | 33 mi NE of St. Paul | 45.16166, -92.49005 |
Map · Directions |
| Deer Park WPA | 351 | 38 mi NE of St. Paul | 45.18738, -92.39874 |
Map · Directions |
| Kostka WPA | 350 | 38 mi SW of Rice Lake | 45.20547, -92.39070 |
Map · Directions |
| Star Prairie WPA | 312 | 33 mi NE of St. Paul | 45.19840, -92.51601 |
Map · Directions |
| Bierbrauer WPA 282 deeded ac |
275 | 34 mi NE of St. Paul | 45.20566, -92.49185 |
Map · Directions |
| Three Lakes WPA 255 deeded ac |
249 | 25 mi E of St. Paul | 45.03642, -92.58477 |
Map · Directions |
| Clapp WPA | 239 | 23 mi E of St. Paul | 44.96558, -92.62939 |
Map · Directions |
| Prairie Flats - North WPA | 219 | 28 mi NE of St. Paul | 45.19770, -92.62579 |
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| Kerber WPA | 156 | 28 mi E of St. Paul | 45.01138, -92.53264 |
Map · Directions |
| St. Croix Prairie WPA | 141 | 26 mi NE of St. Paul | 45.11731, -92.61434 |
Map · Directions |
| Lundy WPA | 132 | 28 mi E of St. Paul | 45.07364, -92.54519 |
Map · Directions |
| Oak Ridge WPA/Hanten WPA | 119 | 34 mi NE of St. Paul | 45.19464, -92.47403 |
Map · Directions |
| Twelve Ponds WPA | 94 | 27 mi NE of St. Paul | 45.17874, -92.64479 |
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| Hanten WPA | 85 | 35 mi NE of St. Paul | 45.20003, -92.47279 |
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| Oak Ridge South WPA | 71 | 33 mi NE of St. Paul | 45.17466, -92.50308 |
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| Somerset WPA | 65 | 23 mi NE of St. Paul | 45.11735, -92.69469 |
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| Plum Brush WPA | 65 | 35 mi NE of St. Paul | 45.20677, -92.47026 |
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| White WPA | 56 | 23 mi NE of St. Paul | 45.09120, -92.66927 |
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| Alden WPA | 40 | 34 mi NE of St. Paul | 45.21137, -92.50594 |
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| Risberg WPA | 38 | 27 mi E of St. Paul | 45.00098, -92.54019 |
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| Weiss WPA | 36 | 25 mi E of St. Paul | 45.02350, -92.58619 |
Map · Directions |
| Hammond WPA | 26 | 33 mi E of St. Paul | 44.97606, -92.41746 |
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 St. Croix 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 St. Croix 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.
- St. Paul, MN31 mi — county center is E of town
- Minneapolis, MN40 mi — county center is E of town
- Rice Lake, WI48 mi — county center is SW of town
- Eau Claire, WI50 mi — county center is W of town
Shooting hours in St. Croix County
Today at St. Croix 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 | 6:00 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:49 PM | 13h 19m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:17 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:23 PM | 12h 36m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 6:36 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:52 PM | 11h 46m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:26 PM | 11h 03m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:17 AM | 6:47 AM | 4:59 PM | 10h 13m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 6:36 AM | 7:06 AM | 4:42 PM | 9h 36m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 6:57 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:30 PM | 9h 03m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:11 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:28 PM | 8h 48m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 7:18 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:37 PM | 8h 49m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 7:14 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:52 PM | 9h 07m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 7:00 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:15 PM | 9h 45m |
Computed for 45.044, -92.460 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.
7-day forecast for St. Croix 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 St. Croix County
Refuge hunt units in St. Croix County
| Unit | Refuge | Status | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Ridge WPA | St. Croix WMD | !Special regs | 427 |
Neighboring counties with WPAs
- Dunn County, WI 5 WPAs · 1.3K ac
- Polk County, WI 14 WPAs · 1.2K ac
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.