Waterfowl Production Area · Cottonwood County, Minnesota

Clear Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Clear Lake Waterfowl Production Area is a 317-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Cottonwood County, Minnesota. It is managed by the Windom Wetland Management District as part of the Cottonwood 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.

317GIS acres
320deeded acres
Cottonwood Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Clear 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 Cottonwood County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Clear Lake 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 Clear Lake WPA

Navigate

Destination: Clear Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
43.85154, -95.37112
DMS
43°51′05.5″N 95°22′16.0″W

Nearest towns

  • Windom, MN13 mi W of town
  • Marshall, MN46 mi SE of town
  • Spencer, IA51 mi N of town

Closest airports

  • FSD Sioux Falls Regional71 mi

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

Shooting hours at Clear Lake WPA

Today at Clear 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, 20266:13 AM6:43 AM7:59 PM13h 16m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:29 AM6:59 AM7:34 PM12h 35m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:47 AM7:17 AM7:04 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:04 AM7:34 AM6:39 PM11h 06m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:26 AM6:56 AM5:13 PM10h 17m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:45 AM7:15 AM4:57 PM9h 42m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:05 AM7:35 AM4:46 PM9h 11m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:18 AM7:48 AM4:44 PM8h 56m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:25 AM7:55 AM4:53 PM8h 58m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:22 AM7:52 AM5:07 PM9h 15m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:09 AM7:39 AM5:29 PM9h 51m

Computed for 43.852, -95.371 (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
La Crosse WPA1003.3 mi SJackson County
Giese WPA3175.5 mi WMurray County
Talcot Lake WPA1566.4 mi WMurray County
Long Lake WPA2368.0 mi NCottonwood County
Des Moines River WPA3098.2 mi NECottonwood County
Timber Lake WPA5328.5 mi SEJackson County
String Lake WPA2318.9 mi EJackson County
Graham Lake WPA2489.6 mi SWNobles County

Closest refuges & districts

Windom WMD

Cottonwood County, MN · 14 mi E

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

17.8K huntable acres

Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR

Lincoln County, MN · 55 mi NW

1 open3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

6.7K huntable acres

Union Slough NWR

Kossuth County, IA · 74 mi SE

3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

2.8K huntable acres

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