Waterfowl Production Area · Murray County, Minnesota

Big Slough Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Big Slough Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 812 acres located in Murray County, Minnesota. It is managed by the Windom Wetland Management District as part of the Murray 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.

812GIS acres
807deeded acres
Murray Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Big Slough 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 Murray County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Big Slough 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 Big Slough WPA

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Destination: Big Slough Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
43.95572, -95.71555
DMS
43°57′20.6″N 95°42′56.0″W

Nearest towns

  • Windom, MN30 mi W of town
  • Marshall, MN34 mi S of town
  • Sioux Falls, SD58 mi NE of town

Closest airports

  • FSD Sioux Falls Regional57 mi

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

Shooting hours at Big Slough WPA

Today at Big Slough 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, 20266:15 AM6:45 AM8:01 PM13h 16m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:30 AM7:00 AM7:35 PM12h 35m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:48 AM7:18 AM7:05 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:05 AM7:35 AM6:41 PM11h 05m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:28 AM6:58 AM5:14 PM10h 17m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:46 AM7:16 AM4:58 PM9h 41m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:06 AM7:36 AM4:47 PM9h 10m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:20 AM7:50 AM4:45 PM8h 56m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:27 AM7:57 AM4:54 PM8h 57m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:24 AM7:54 AM5:08 PM9h 14m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:11 AM7:41 AM5:31 PM9h 50m

Computed for 43.956, -95.716 (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
Iona WPA816.9 mi SWMurray County
5-Mile Corner WPA2448.4 mi NMurray County
Devils Run WPA1568.5 mi NEMurray County
Mason WPA4369.1 mi NMurray County
Slaughter Slough WPA64111 mi NEMurray County
Dovray WPA7911 mi NEMurray County
Bloom WPA25712 mi SNobles County
Buffalo Lake WPA8112 mi NEMurray County

Closest refuges & districts

Windom WMD

Cottonwood County, MN · 32 mi E

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

17.8K huntable acres

Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR

Lincoln County, MN · 39 mi NW

1 open3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

6.7K huntable acres

Madison WMD

Lake County, SD · 67 mi W

1 open1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

44K huntable acres

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