Waterfowl Production Area · Pope County, Minnesota

Horse Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Horse Lake Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 162 acres located in Pope County, Minnesota. It is managed by the Morris Wetland Management District as part of the Pope 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.

162GIS acres
162deeded acres
Pope Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Horse 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 Pope County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Horse 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 Horse Lake WPA

Navigate

Destination: Horse Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
45.70858, -95.49245
DMS
45°42′30.9″N 95°29′32.8″W

Nearest towns

  • Alexandria, MN14 mi SW of town
  • Morris, MN22 mi E of town
  • Willmar, MN46 mi NW of town

Closest airports

  • FAR Fargo Hector Intl105 mi

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

Shooting hours at Horse Lake WPA

Today at Horse 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, 20266:11 AM6:41 AM8:02 PM13h 21m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:28 AM6:58 AM7:35 PM12h 37m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:48 AM7:18 AM7:04 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:06 AM7:36 AM6:38 PM11h 02m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:30 AM7:00 AM5:10 PM10h 10m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:50 AM7:20 AM4:52 PM9h 32m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:11 AM7:41 AM4:40 PM8h 59m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:25 AM7:55 AM4:38 PM8h 43m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:32 AM8:02 AM4:47 PM8h 44m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:29 AM7:59 AM5:02 PM9h 03m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:14 AM7:44 AM5:25 PM9h 41m

Computed for 45.709, -95.492 (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
Ann Lake WPA1222.6 mi SEPope County
Jorgenson WPA1463.5 mi NWPope County
Jackson WPA583.7 mi SWPope County
Aal WPA343.7 mi SWPope County
Stammer WPA1404.6 mi SWPope County
Gullickson(north) WPA224.8 mi SWPope County
Ben Wade WPA2585.1 mi NWPope County
Gullickson(south) WPA525.2 mi SWPope County

Closest refuges & districts

Morris WMD

Stevens County, MN · 20 mi W

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

56.6K huntable acres

Fergus Falls WMD

Otter Tail County, MN · 45 mi NW

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

49.4K huntable acres

Big Stone WMD

Big Stone County, MN · 51 mi SW

1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

4.4K huntable acres

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