Waterfowl Production Area · Douglas County, Minnesota

Thompson Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 40 acres, Thompson Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Douglas County, Minnesota. It is managed by the Fergus Falls Wetland Management District as part of the Douglas County Waterfowl Production Area of Mn 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 Fergus Falls WMD rules →
40GIS acres
40deeded acres
Douglas Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Thompson 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 Douglas County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Thompson 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 Thompson WPA

Navigate

Destination: Thompson Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
45.78306, -95.65241
DMS
45°46′59.0″N 95°39′08.7″W

Nearest towns

  • Alexandria, MN15 mi SW of town
  • Morris, MN18 mi NE of town
  • Fergus Falls, MN40 mi SE of town

Closest airports

  • FAR Fargo Hector Intl96 mi

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

Shooting hours at Thompson WPA

Today at Thompson 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 AM8:03 PM13h 21m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:29 AM6:59 AM7:36 PM12h 37m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:49 AM7:19 AM7:05 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:07 AM7:37 AM6:38 PM11h 01m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:31 AM7:01 AM5:11 PM10h 10m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:51 AM7:21 AM4:53 PM9h 32m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:12 AM7:42 AM4:40 PM8h 58m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:26 AM7:56 AM4:38 PM8h 42m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:33 AM8:03 AM4:47 PM8h 44m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:30 AM8:00 AM5:02 PM9h 02m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:15 AM7:45 AM5:26 PM9h 41m

Computed for 45.783, -95.652 (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
Sabolik WPA3100.8 mi SDouglas County
Bengston WPA4471.0 mi NWDouglas County
Dahlgren WPA611.6 mi SWDouglas County
Runestone WPA1681.7 mi NDouglas County
Kensington WPA1652.5 mi SWDouglas County
McDowell WPA2142.7 mi EDouglas County
Eng Lake WPA543.0 mi NDouglas County
Mattson WPA713.5 mi SWPope County

Closest refuges & districts

Morris WMD

Stevens County, MN · 16 mi SW

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

56.6K huntable acres

Fergus Falls WMD

Otter Tail County, MN · 37 mi NW

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

49.4K huntable acres

Big Stone WMD

Big Stone County, MN · 49 mi SW

1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

4.4K huntable acres

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