Waterfowl Production Area · Stearns County, Minnesota

Stearns Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 28 acres, Stearns Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Stearns 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.

Navigate here Satellite map Morris WMD rules →
28GIS acres
27deeded acres
Stearns Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Stearns 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 Stearns 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 Stearns WPA

Navigate

Destination: Stearns Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
45.55805, -95.13348
DMS
45°33′29.0″N 95°08′00.5″W

Nearest towns

  • Alexandria, MN26 mi SE of town
  • Willmar, MN31 mi N of town
  • Morris, MN38 mi E of town

Closest airports

  • MSP Minneapolis–St. Paul104 mi

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

Shooting hours at Stearns WPA

Today at Stearns 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, 20266:10 AM6:40 AM8:01 PM13h 20m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:27 AM6:57 AM7:34 PM12h 37m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:46 AM7:16 AM7:03 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:05 AM7:35 AM6:37 PM11h 02m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:28 AM6:58 AM5:09 PM10h 11m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:48 AM7:18 AM4:51 PM9h 33m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:09 AM7:39 AM4:39 PM8h 60m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:23 AM7:53 AM4:37 PM8h 44m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:30 AM8:00 AM4:46 PM8h 46m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:27 AM7:57 AM5:01 PM9h 04m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:12 AM7:42 AM5:24 PM9h 42m

Computed for 45.558, -95.133 (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
Prairie Storm WPA4043.9 mi NStearns County
Bangor WPA4004.7 mi SWPope County
Claude WPA625.5 mi NEStearns County
Grove Lake WPA5935.5 mi NWPope County
Padua WPA7165.7 mi NStearns County
Lake Johanna WPA3546.0 mi SWPope County
Pope WPA1596.6 mi NStearns County
Krantz Lake WPA1,1527.5 mi NPope County

Closest refuges & districts

Morris WMD

Stevens County, MN · 37 mi W

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

56.6K huntable acres

Litchfield WMD

Meeker County, MN · 45 mi SE

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

38.6K huntable acres

Crane Meadows NWR

Morrison County, MN · 50 mi NE

1 open2 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇

2.2K huntable acres

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