Waterfowl Production Area · Murray County, Minnesota

Buffalo Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 81 acres, Buffalo Lake Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands 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.

Navigate here Satellite map Windom WMD rules →
81GIS acres
80deeded acres
Murray Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Buffalo 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 Murray County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Buffalo 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 Buffalo Lake WPA

Navigate

Destination: Buffalo Lake Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
44.08541, -95.56806
DMS
44°05′07.5″N 95°34′05.0″W

Nearest towns

  • Windom, MN27 mi NW of town
  • Marshall, MN27 mi SE of town
  • Brookings, SD63 mi E of town

Closest airports

  • FSD Sioux Falls Regional68 mi

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

Shooting hours at Buffalo Lake WPA

Today at Buffalo 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, 20266:14 AM6:44 AM8:00 PM13h 17m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:29 AM6:59 AM7:35 PM12h 35m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:48 AM7:18 AM7:05 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:05 AM7:35 AM6:40 PM11h 05m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:27 AM6:57 AM5:14 PM10h 16m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:46 AM7:16 AM4:57 PM9h 41m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:06 AM7:36 AM4:46 PM9h 09m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:20 AM7:50 AM4:44 PM8h 55m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:27 AM7:57 AM4:53 PM8h 56m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:24 AM7:54 AM5:07 PM9h 13m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:10 AM7:40 AM5:30 PM9h 49m

Computed for 44.085, -95.568 (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
Dovray WPA791.3 mi SMurray County
Slaughter Slough WPA6412.7 mi WMurray County
Devils Run WPA1564.7 mi SMurray County
Lake Julia WPA645.0 mi SEMurray County
Dutch Creek WPA195.7 mi ECottonwood County
Westbrook WPA686.0 mi ECottonwood County
5-Mile Corner WPA2449.0 mi WMurray County
Mason WPA43610.0 mi WMurray County

Closest refuges & districts

Windom WMD

Cottonwood County, MN · 29 mi SE

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

17.8K huntable acres

Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR

Lincoln County, MN · 36 mi NW

1 open3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

6.7K huntable acres

Madison WMD

Lake County, SD · 75 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.