Waterfowl Production Area · Polk County, Minnesota

Gustafson Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Gustafson Waterfowl Production Area is a 447-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Polk County, Minnesota. It is managed by the Detroit Lakes Wetland Management District as part of the Polk 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 Detroit Lakes WMD rules →
447GIS acres
449deeded acres
Polk Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Gustafson 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 Polk County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Gustafson 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 Gustafson WPA

Navigate

Destination: Gustafson Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
47.62055, -95.58514
DMS
47°37′14.0″N 95°35′06.5″W

Nearest towns

  • Bemidji, MN34 mi W of town
  • Thief River Falls, MN44 mi SE of town
  • Detroit Lakes, MN57 mi N of town

Closest airports

  • FAR Fargo Hector Intl75 mi

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

Shooting hours at Gustafson WPA

Today at Gustafson 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, 20266:09 AM6:39 AM8:05 PM13h 26m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:28 AM6:58 AM7:37 PM12h 39m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:49 AM7:19 AM7:04 PM11h 45m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:09 AM7:39 AM6:36 PM10h 57m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:35 AM7:05 AM5:06 PM10h 02m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:56 AM7:26 AM4:47 PM9h 21m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:19 AM7:49 AM4:34 PM8h 45m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:33 AM8:03 AM4:31 PM8h 28m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:40 AM8:10 AM4:40 PM8h 30m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:36 AM8:06 AM4:55 PM8h 50m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:20 AM7:50 AM5:20 PM9h 31m

Computed for 47.621, -95.585 (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
Hagen WPA3832.4 mi SWPolk County
Turtle Lake WPA1694.5 mi WPolk County
Haslie Lake WPA1605.5 mi SWPolk County
Sollie Enterprises WPA2976.3 mi SWPolk County
Lengby WPA2336.8 mi SWPolk County
Jenkins WPA5987.8 mi SWPolk County
Hendrickson Lake WPA798.4 mi WPolk County
Smith WPA3229.0 mi SWPolk County

Closest refuges & districts

Rydell NWR

Polk County, MN · 24 mi W

2 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

1.8K huntable acres

Glacial Ridge NWR

Polk County, MN · 33 mi W

2 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗

17.4K huntable acres

Tamarac NWR

Becker County, MN · 44 mi S

6 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

42K huntable acres

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