Waterfowl Production Area · Emmet County, Iowa

Cheever Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Cheever Lake Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 134 acres located in Emmet County, Iowa. It is managed by the Iowa Wetland Management District as part of the Emmet County Waterfowl Production Area group of WPAs. Waterfowl Production Areas are purchased largely with Federal Duck Stamp dollars and are generally open to hunting, trapping and fishing under state regulations, with some federal restrictions.

Navigate here Satellite map Iowa WMD rules →
134GIS acres
132deeded acres
Emmet Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Cheever Lake WPA satellite map

Gold outlines are fee-title Waterfowl Production Areas — public land. Everything outside is typically private; always look for boundary signs.

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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 WPAs in Emmet County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Cheever Lake WPA

What you can typically do

  • Hunt waterfowl, upland birds, deer and other game in season under Iowa regulations
  • Walk in from roads or designated parking areas — vehicles generally stay off the tract
  • Fish and trap where state rules and district regulations allow
  • Wildlife watching, photography and hiking

Common restrictions

  • No camping, fires or overnight use on most WPAs
  • Motorized vehicles only on designated roads/parking
  • Temporary blinds and stands usually must be removed daily
  • Non-toxic shot required for waterfowl — many districts require it for all shotgun hunting
  • Some tracts have closed areas or special regulations — check signs

How to get to Cheever Lake WPA

Navigate

Destination: Cheever Lake Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
43.38089, -94.88899
DMS
43°22′51.2″N 94°53′20.4″W

Nearest towns

  • Spencer, IA21 mi NE of town
  • Windom, MN36 mi S of town
  • Mankato, MN70 mi SW of town

Closest airports

  • FSD Sioux Falls Regional94 mi

Straight-line distances. Driving routes are longer; many refuge roads are gravel and may close seasonally.

Shooting hours at Cheever Lake WPA

Today at Cheever Lake WPA

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, 20266:12 AM6:42 AM7:57 PM13h 15m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:27 AM6:57 AM7:32 PM12h 35m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:45 AM7:15 AM7:02 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:01 AM7:31 AM6:38 PM11h 07m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:23 AM6:53 AM5:12 PM10h 19m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:42 AM7:12 AM4:56 PM9h 44m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:01 AM7:31 AM4:45 PM9h 14m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:14 AM7:44 AM4:44 PM8h 60m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:21 AM7:51 AM4:52 PM9h 01m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:19 AM7:49 AM5:07 PM9h 18m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:06 AM7:36 AM5:29 PM9h 53m

Computed for 43.381, -94.889 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day forecast

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Forecast from the National Weather Service. Wind direction matters — plan your approach downwind of where game beds.

Nearby Waterfowl Production Areas

WPAAcresDistanceCounty
Four Mile WPA2801.6 mi NEmmet County
Swan Lake WPA7425.4 mi NWDickinson County
Twelve Mile WPA1626.7 mi SEmmet County
Iowa National Heritage Foundation WPA807.3 mi NEEmmet County
Wellnitz WPA1207.4 mi NEmmet County
Eagle Lake WPA3447.7 mi NEEmmet County
Spring Run WPA1,2338.7 mi WDickinson County
Burr Oak WPA1839.3 mi SEEmmet County

Closest refuges & districts

Windom WMD

Cottonwood County, MN · 34 mi N

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

17.8K huntable acres

Union Slough NWR

Kossuth County, IA · 38 mi E

3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

2.8K huntable acres

Iowa WMD

Kossuth County, IA · 40 mi E

1 open3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

27.5K huntable acres

Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest), Emmet County Waterfowl Production Area. Acreage from GIS polygons; deeded acreage from realty records.