Waterfowl Production Area · Kossuth County, Iowa

Bluestem Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Bluestem Waterfowl Production Area is a 162-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Kossuth County, Iowa. It is managed by the Iowa Wetland Management District as part of the Kossuth 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.

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162GIS acres
160deeded acres
Kossuth Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Bluestem 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 Kossuth County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Bluestem 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 Bluestem WPA

Navigate

Destination: Bluestem Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
43.24495, -94.18296
DMS
43°14′41.8″N 94°10′58.7″W

Nearest towns

  • Spencer, IA49 mi E of town
  • Mason City, IA50 mi W of town
  • Windom, MN64 mi SE of town

Closest airports

  • DSM Des Moines Intl121 mi

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

Shooting hours at Bluestem WPA

Today at Bluestem 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, 20266:09 AM6:39 AM7:54 PM13h 15m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:24 AM6:54 AM7:29 PM12h 34m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:42 AM7:12 AM7:00 PM11h 48m
Thu, Oct 15, 20266:58 AM7:28 AM6:35 PM11h 07m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:20 AM6:50 AM5:10 PM10h 20m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:39 AM7:09 AM4:54 PM9h 45m
Tue, Dec 1, 20266:58 AM7:28 AM4:43 PM9h 15m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:11 AM7:41 AM4:42 PM9h 00m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:18 AM7:48 AM4:50 PM9h 02m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:16 AM7:46 AM5:04 PM9h 19m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:03 AM7:33 AM5:26 PM9h 53m

Computed for 43.245, -94.183 (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
Dickcissel WPA1592.0 mi NKossuth County
Wapati WPA952.8 mi SEKossuth County
Bobolink WPA3072.9 mi WKossuth County
Maynard Reece WPA5564.6 mi NKossuth County
Pintail WPA1544.9 mi NEKossuth County
Blue-wing WPA1736.2 mi SKossuth County
Mallard WPA1427.6 mi NKossuth County
Bison WPA2368.2 mi EKossuth County

Closest refuges & districts

Union Slough NWR

Kossuth County, IA · 1.6 mi E

3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

2.8K huntable acres

Iowa WMD

Kossuth County, IA · 4.5 mi NE

1 open3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

27.5K huntable acres

Windom WMD

Cottonwood County, MN · 62 mi NW

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

17.8K huntable acres

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