Waterfowl Production Area · Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota

Dakota Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 284 acres, Dakota Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota. It is managed by the Morris Wetland Management District as part of the Yellow Medicine 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 →
284GIS acres
283deeded acres
Yellow Medicine Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Dakota 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 Yellow Medicine County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Dakota 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 Dakota WPA

Navigate

Destination: Dakota Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
44.71248, -96.42006
DMS
44°42′44.9″N 96°25′12.2″W

Nearest towns

  • Brookings, SD34 mi NE of town
  • Marshall, MN36 mi NW of town
  • Watertown, SD37 mi E of town

Closest airports

  • FSD Sioux Falls Regional80 mi

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

Shooting hours at Dakota WPA

Today at Dakota 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, 20266:16 AM6:46 AM8:05 PM13h 18m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:33 AM7:03 AM7:39 PM12h 36m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:51 AM7:21 AM7:08 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:09 AM7:39 AM6:43 PM11h 04m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:32 AM7:02 AM5:16 PM10h 14m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:51 AM7:21 AM4:59 PM9h 37m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:12 AM7:42 AM4:47 PM9h 05m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:25 AM7:55 AM4:45 PM8h 50m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:32 AM8:02 AM4:54 PM8h 52m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:29 AM7:59 AM5:09 PM9h 09m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:15 AM7:45 AM5:31 PM9h 46m

Computed for 44.712, -96.420 (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
Kontz WPA301.2 mi NWYellow Medicine County
Severson WPA1583.7 mi WDeuel County
Fox Lake WPA1186.8 mi SWDeuel County
Mundahl WPA1477.0 mi WDeuel County
Johnson I (w) WPA697.1 mi SWDeuel County
Bailey Slough WPA637.5 mi NLac qui Parle County
Kloos WPA457.7 mi NWDeuel County
Anderson WPA577.8 mi SLincoln County

Closest refuges & districts

Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR

Lincoln County, MN · 24 mi SE

1 open3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

6.7K huntable acres

Big Stone NWR

Lac qui Parle County, MN · 37 mi N

2 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

9.6K huntable acres

Big Stone WMD

Big Stone County, MN · 38 mi N

1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

4.4K huntable acres

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