Waterfowl Production Area · Freeborn County, Minnesota

Pickerel Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Pickerel Lake Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 245 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.

Navigate here Satellite map Windom WMD rules →
245GIS acres
245deeded acres
Freeborn Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Pickerel 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 Freeborn County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Pickerel 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 Pickerel Lake WPA

Navigate

Destination: Pickerel Lake Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
43.62329, -93.41572
DMS
43°37′23.8″N 93°24′56.6″W

Nearest towns

  • Mason City, IA34 mi N of town
  • Mankato, MN47 mi SE of town
  • Rochester, MN55 mi SW of town

Closest airports

  • MSP Minneapolis–St. Paul87 mi

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

Shooting hours at Pickerel Lake WPA

Today at Pickerel 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, 20266:06 AM6:36 AM7:51 PM13h 15m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:21 AM6:51 AM7:26 PM12h 35m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:39 AM7:09 AM6:56 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, 20266:36 AM7:06 AM4:50 PM9h 43m
Tue, Dec 1, 20266:56 AM7:26 AM4:39 PM9h 12m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:09 AM7:39 AM4:37 PM8h 58m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:16 AM7:46 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 52m

Computed for 43.623, -93.416 (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
Twin Lake WPA3003.5 mi SFreeborn County
Goose Lake WPA1674.7 mi NEFreeborn County
Goose Creek WPA4745.6 mi SFreeborn County
Two Island WPA2695.6 mi NFreeborn County
Iowa, Chicago & Eastern WPA2496.1 mi NWFreeborn County
Bhagyam WPA2817.2 mi SFreeborn County
Halls Lake WPA4107.4 mi NWFreeborn County
Foster Creek WPA24010 mi WFreeborn County

Closest refuges & districts

Iowa WMD

Kossuth County, IA · 42 mi SW

1 open3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

27.5K huntable acres

Union Slough NWR

Kossuth County, IA · 46 mi SW

3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

2.8K huntable acres

Minnesota Valley WMD

Le Sueur County, MN · 52 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.