Waterfowl Production Area · Swift County, Minnesota

Gilbertson Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 222 acres, Gilbertson Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Swift County, Minnesota. It is managed by the Morris Wetland Management District as part of the Swift 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 →
222GIS acres
222deeded acres
Swift Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Gilbertson 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 Swift County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Gilbertson 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 Gilbertson WPA

Navigate

Destination: Gilbertson Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
45.30922, -95.31144
DMS
45°18′33.2″N 95°18′41.2″W

Nearest towns

  • Willmar, MN19 mi NW of town
  • Morris, MN35 mi SE of town
  • Litchfield, MN40 mi W of town

Closest airports

  • MSP Minneapolis–St. Paul106 mi

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

Shooting hours at Gilbertson WPA

Today at Gilbertson 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, 20266:11 AM6:41 AM8:01 PM13h 20m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:28 AM6:58 AM7:34 PM12h 37m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:47 AM7:17 AM7:03 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:05 AM7:35 AM6:38 PM11h 03m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:29 AM6:59 AM5:10 PM10h 12m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:48 AM7:18 AM4:53 PM9h 34m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:09 AM7:39 AM4:41 PM9h 01m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:23 AM7:53 AM4:39 PM8h 46m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:30 AM8:00 AM4:47 PM8h 47m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:27 AM7:57 AM5:02 PM9h 06m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:12 AM7:42 AM5:26 PM9h 43m

Computed for 45.309, -95.311 (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
Roderick WPA410.8 mi NESwift County
Monson Lake WPA761.1 mi NESwift County
Bowman WPA561.6 mi SSwift County
Rice WPA642.6 mi NSwift County
Brady WPA1973.2 mi NESwift County
Bengtson WPA2273.9 mi SSwift County
Sunburg WPA2575.0 mi NEKandiyohi County
Peterson WPA385.3 mi SEKandiyohi County

Closest refuges & districts

Morris WMD

Stevens County, MN · 35 mi NW

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

56.6K huntable acres

Litchfield WMD

Meeker County, MN · 41 mi SE

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

38.6K huntable acres

Big Stone WMD

Big Stone County, MN · 50 mi W

1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

4.4K huntable acres

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