Waterfowl Production Area · Blue Earth County, Minnesota

Shelby Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Shelby Waterfowl Production Area is a 156-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Blue Earth County, Minnesota. It is managed by the Minnesota Valley Wetland Management District as part of the Blue Earth 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 Minnesota Valley WMD rules →
156GIS acres
160deeded acres
Blue Earth Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Shelby 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 Blue Earth County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Shelby WPA

What you can typically do

  • Hunt waterfowl, upland birds, deer and other game in season under Minnesota 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 Shelby WPA

Navigate

Destination: Shelby Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
43.85148, -94.13353
DMS
43°51′05.3″N 94°08′00.7″W

Nearest towns

  • Mankato, MN22 mi S of town
  • Windom, MN49 mi E of town
  • Mason City, IA67 mi NW of town

Closest airports

  • MSP Minneapolis–St. Paul84 mi

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

Shooting hours at Shelby WPA

Today at Shelby 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, 20266:08 AM6:38 AM7:54 PM13h 16m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:24 AM6:54 AM7:29 PM12h 35m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:42 AM7:12 AM6:59 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20266:59 AM7:29 AM6:34 PM11h 06m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:21 AM6:51 AM5:08 PM10h 17m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:40 AM7:10 AM4:52 PM9h 42m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:00 AM7:30 AM4:41 PM9h 11m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:13 AM7:43 AM4:39 PM8h 56m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:20 AM7:50 AM4:48 PM8h 58m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:17 AM7:47 AM5:02 PM9h 15m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:04 AM7:34 AM5:24 PM9h 51m

Computed for 43.851, -94.134 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day forecast

Loading National Weather Service forecast…

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

Nearby Waterfowl Production Areas

WPAAcresDistanceCounty
Winnebago WPA812.1 mi SEFaribault County
Lura Lake WPA244.2 mi EFaribault County
Roberts WPA2797.4 mi NEBlue Earth County
Prescott WPA1588.9 mi SFaribault County
Maple River WPA2009.8 mi EFaribault County
Willow Creek WPA8010 mi WBlue Earth County
Evans Slough Complex-Marble WPA5710 mi NWBlue Earth County
Mn Pheasants WPA2810 mi NWBlue Earth County

Closest refuges & districts

Iowa WMD

Kossuth County, IA · 39 mi S

1 open3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

27.5K huntable acres

Union Slough NWR

Kossuth County, IA · 42 mi S

3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

2.8K huntable acres

Minnesota Valley WMD

Le Sueur County, MN · 45 mi NE

2 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

8.7K huntable acres

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