Waterfowl Production Area · Stearns County, Minnesota

Big Fish Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Big Fish Lake Waterfowl Production Area is a 81-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Stearns County, Minnesota. It is managed by the Litchfield Wetland Management District as part of the Stearns 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 Litchfield WMD rules →
81GIS acres
81deeded acres
Stearns Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Big Fish 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 Stearns County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Big Fish 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 Big Fish Lake WPA

Navigate

Destination: Big Fish Lake Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
45.51625, -94.45182
DMS
45°30′58.5″N 94°27′06.6″W

Nearest towns

  • St. Cloud, MN14 mi W of town
  • Litchfield, MN27 mi N of town
  • Willmar, MN40 mi NE of town

Closest airports

  • MSP Minneapolis–St. Paul74 mi

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

Shooting hours at Big Fish Lake WPA

Today at Big Fish 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, 20266:07 AM6:37 AM7:58 PM13h 20m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:24 AM6:54 AM7:31 PM12h 37m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:44 AM7:14 AM7:00 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:02 AM7:32 AM6:34 PM11h 02m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:26 AM6:56 AM5:06 PM10h 11m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:46 AM7:16 AM4:49 PM9h 33m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:07 AM7:37 AM4:37 PM9h 00m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:20 AM7:50 AM4:34 PM8h 44m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:27 AM7:57 AM4:43 PM8h 46m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:24 AM7:54 AM4:58 PM9h 04m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:09 AM7:39 AM5:22 PM9h 42m

Computed for 45.516, -94.452 (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
Collegeville WPA1221.2 mi EStearns County
Sand Lake WPA3152.0 mi WStearns County
Farming WPA1626.4 mi WStearns County
St. Martin WPA44910 mi WStearns County
Mud Lake WPA8111 mi SStearns County
Erpelding WPA27711 mi SStearns County
Roscoe WPA26412 mi SWStearns County
Zion WPA27912 mi WStearns County

Closest refuges & districts

Crane Meadows NWR

Morrison County, MN · 30 mi N

1 open2 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇

2.2K huntable acres

Litchfield WMD

Meeker County, MN · 31 mi S

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

38.6K huntable acres

Sherburne NWR

Sherburne County, MN · 35 mi E

3 special3 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

28K huntable acres

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