Waterfowl Production Area · Steele County, Minnesota

Straight Creek Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 346 acres, Straight Creek Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Steele County, Minnesota. It is managed by the Minnesota Valley Wetland Management District as part of the Steele 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 →
346GIS acres
343deeded acres
Steele Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Straight Creek 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 Steele County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Straight Creek 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 Straight Creek WPA

Navigate

Destination: Straight Creek Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
43.90101, -93.16592
DMS
43°54′03.6″N 93°09′57.3″W

Nearest towns

  • Rochester, MN36 mi W of town
  • Mankato, MN45 mi SE of town
  • Mason City, IA52 mi N of town

Closest airports

  • MSP Minneapolis–St. Paul68 mi

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

Shooting hours at Straight Creek WPA

Today at Straight Creek 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, 20266:04 AM6:34 AM7:51 PM13h 16m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:20 AM6:50 AM7:25 PM12h 35m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:38 AM7:08 AM6:55 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20266:55 AM7:25 AM6:31 PM11h 06m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:17 AM6:47 AM5:04 PM10h 17m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:36 AM7:06 AM4:48 PM9h 42m
Tue, Dec 1, 20266:56 AM7:26 AM4:37 PM9h 11m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:09 AM7:39 AM4:35 PM8h 56m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:16 AM7:46 AM4:44 PM8h 57m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:13 AM7:43 AM4:58 PM9h 15m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:00 AM7:30 AM5:20 PM9h 50m

Computed for 43.901, -93.166 (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
Straight River Marsh Wpa2 WPA172.7 mi WSteele County
Straight River Marsh WPA3802.7 mi SWSteele County
Dodge Center Creek WPA1387.4 mi NESteele County
Arlen Schamber Legacy WPA4314 mi SEMower County
Turtle Creek WPA15515 mi SFreeborn County
Lost Lake WPA10015 mi SEMower County
Pheasants Forever, Inc. WPA4316 mi NWWaseca County
Pederson WPA1116 mi NWWaseca County

Closest refuges & districts

Minnesota Valley WMD

Le Sueur County, MN · 38 mi NW

2 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

8.7K huntable acres

Iowa WMD

Kossuth County, IA · 64 mi SW

1 open3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

27.5K huntable acres

Minnesota Valley NWR

Hennepin County, MN · 66 mi N

12 special5 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

12.6K huntable acres

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