Waterfowl Production Area · Stearns County, Minnesota

Costello Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 106 acres, Costello Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands 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 →
106GIS acres
106deeded acres
Stearns Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Costello 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 Costello 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 Costello WPA

Navigate

Destination: Costello Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
45.74575, -94.93219
DMS
45°44′44.7″N 94°55′55.9″W

Nearest towns

  • Alexandria, MN24 mi SE of town
  • St. Cloud, MN39 mi W of town
  • Willmar, MN44 mi N of town

Closest airports

  • MSP Minneapolis–St. Paul102 mi

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

Shooting hours at Costello WPA

Today at Costello 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 AM8:00 PM13h 21m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:26 AM6:56 AM7:33 PM12h 37m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:46 AM7:16 AM7:02 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:04 AM7:34 AM6:36 PM11h 02m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:28 AM6:58 AM5:08 PM10h 10m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:48 AM7:18 AM4:50 PM9h 32m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:09 AM7:39 AM4:38 PM8h 58m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:23 AM7:53 AM4:36 PM8h 43m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:30 AM8:00 AM4:44 PM8h 44m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:27 AM7:57 AM4:59 PM9h 03m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:12 AM7:42 AM5:23 PM9h 41m

Computed for 45.746, -94.932 (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
Twin Lakes WPA832.1 mi NEStearns County
Twin Lakes WPA762.6 mi NETodd County
McCormick Lake WPA2452.6 mi SEStearns County
Schurman WPA183.0 mi SStearns County
Crosier WPA993.1 mi SEStearns County
Zehrer WPA1453.2 mi WStearns County
Gettel WPA1164.8 mi WStearns County
Whitney WPA3995.2 mi WStearns County

Closest refuges & districts

Crane Meadows NWR

Morrison County, MN · 35 mi E

1 open2 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇

2.2K huntable acres

Morris WMD

Stevens County, MN · 47 mi W

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

56.6K huntable acres

Litchfield WMD

Meeker County, MN · 51 mi SE

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

38.6K huntable acres

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