Waterfowl Production Area · Sibley County, Minnesota

High Island Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 361 acres, High Island Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Sibley County, Minnesota. It is managed by the Minnesota Valley Wetland Management District as part of the Sibley 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 Minnesota Valley WMD rules →
361GIS acres
361deeded acres
Sibley Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

High Island 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 Sibley County:KMLGPX

Hunting on High Island 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 High Island WPA

Navigate

Destination: High Island Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
44.65753, -94.24886
DMS
44°39′27.1″N 94°14′55.9″W

Nearest towns

  • Litchfield, MN35 mi SE of town
  • Mankato, MN37 mi N of town
  • Willmar, MN50 mi SE of town

Closest airports

  • MSP Minneapolis–St. Paul53 mi

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

Shooting hours at High Island WPA

Today at High Island 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, 20266:08 AM6:38 AM7:56 PM13h 18m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:24 AM6:54 AM7:30 PM12h 36m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:43 AM7:13 AM6:59 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:00 AM7:30 AM6:34 PM11h 04m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:23 AM6:53 AM5:07 PM10h 14m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:42 AM7:12 AM4:50 PM9h 38m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:03 AM7:33 AM4:39 PM9h 06m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:16 AM7:46 AM4:37 PM8h 51m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:23 AM7:53 AM4:45 PM8h 52m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:20 AM7:50 AM5:00 PM9h 10m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:06 AM7:36 AM5:23 PM9h 47m

Computed for 44.658, -94.249 (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
Hahn Lake WPA1831.8 mi SESibley County
McLeod WPA1982.7 mi WMcLeod County
Bakers Lake WPA1685.6 mi WMcLeod County
Frontier WPA808.3 mi NWMcLeod County
Brownton WPA1748.5 mi NWMcLeod County
Phasianus WPA72011 mi NMcLeod County
Hartung WPA18611 mi ESibley County
Mud Lake WPA60313 mi ESibley County

Closest refuges & districts

Litchfield WMD

Meeker County, MN · 32 mi NW

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

38.6K huntable acres

Minnesota Valley WMD

Le Sueur County, MN · 39 mi SE

2 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

8.7K huntable acres

Minnesota Valley NWR

Hennepin County, MN · 53 mi E

12 special5 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

12.6K huntable acres

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