Waterfowl Production Area · Freeborn County, Minnesota

Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 249 acres located in Freeborn County, Minnesota. It is managed by the Windom Wetland Management District as part of the Freeborn 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.

249GIS acres
251deeded acres
Freeborn Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Iowa, Chicago & Eastern 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 Freeborn County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Iowa, Chicago & Eastern 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 Iowa, Chicago & Eastern WPA

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Destination: Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
43.67084, -93.51912
DMS
43°40′15.0″N 93°31′08.8″W

Nearest towns

  • Mason City, IA39 mi NW of town
  • Mankato, MN41 mi SE of town
  • Rochester, MN58 mi SW of town

Closest airports

  • MSP Minneapolis–St. Paul85 mi

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

Shooting hours at Iowa, Chicago & Eastern WPA

Today at Iowa, Chicago & Eastern 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, 20266:06 AM6:36 AM7:52 PM13h 16m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:22 AM6:52 AM7:26 PM12h 35m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:39 AM7:09 AM6:57 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20266:56 AM7:26 AM6:32 PM11h 06m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:18 AM6:48 AM5:06 PM10h 18m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:37 AM7:07 AM4:50 PM9h 43m
Tue, Dec 1, 20266:57 AM7:27 AM4:39 PM9h 12m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:10 AM7:40 AM4:37 PM8h 58m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:17 AM7:47 AM4:46 PM8h 59m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:14 AM7:44 AM5:00 PM9h 16m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:01 AM7:31 AM5:22 PM9h 51m

Computed for 43.671, -93.519 (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
Halls Lake WPA4102.3 mi NFreeborn County
Foster Creek WPA2404.6 mi WFreeborn County
Two Island WPA2695.9 mi NEFreeborn County
Pickerel Lake WPA2456.1 mi SEFreeborn County
Twin Lake WPA3007.6 mi SEFreeborn County
Goose Lake WPA1678.9 mi EFreeborn County
Goose Creek WPA47410 mi SEFreeborn County
Bhagyam WPA28112 mi SEFreeborn County

Closest refuges & districts

Iowa WMD

Kossuth County, IA · 40 mi SW

1 open3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

27.5K huntable acres

Union Slough NWR

Kossuth County, IA · 44 mi SW

3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

2.8K huntable acres

Minnesota Valley WMD

Le Sueur County, MN · 48 mi N

2 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

8.7K huntable acres

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