Waterfowl Production Area · Brookings County, South Dakota

Gerdink Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 237 acres, Gerdink Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Brookings County, South Dakota. It is managed by the Madison Wetland Management District as part of the Brookings 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 Madison WMD rules →
237GIS acres
235deeded acres
Brookings Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Gerdink 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 Brookings County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Gerdink WPA

What you can typically do

  • Hunt waterfowl, upland birds, deer and other game in season under South Dakota 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 Gerdink WPA

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Destination: Gerdink Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
44.19988, -96.96063
DMS
44°11′59.6″N 96°57′38.3″W

Nearest towns

  • Brookings, SD11 mi SW of town
  • Madison, SD15 mi NE of town
  • Sioux Falls, SD47 mi N of town

Closest airports

  • FSD Sioux Falls Regional44 mi

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

Shooting hours at Gerdink WPA

Today at Gerdink 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, 20266:19 AM6:49 AM8:06 PM13h 17m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:35 AM7:05 AM7:40 PM12h 35m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:53 AM7:23 AM7:10 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:10 AM7:40 AM6:45 PM11h 05m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:33 AM7:03 AM5:19 PM10h 16m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:52 AM7:22 AM5:02 PM9h 40m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:12 AM7:42 AM4:51 PM9h 09m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:26 AM7:56 AM4:49 PM8h 54m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:33 AM8:03 AM4:58 PM8h 55m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:30 AM8:00 AM5:12 PM9h 13m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:16 AM7:46 AM5:35 PM9h 49m

Computed for 44.200, -96.961 (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
Ramsey WPA1780.8 mi SLake County
Alquire WPA4241.2 mi SWLake County
Murfield WPA3942.4 mi SWLake County
Kenneth Nelson WPA1433.0 mi NWBrookings County
Lentsch WPA713.6 mi SWLake County
Childrens WPA1734.6 mi WLake County
Long WPA3084.9 mi EMoody County
Bolstad WPA405.1 mi NBrookings County

Closest refuges & districts

Madison WMD

Lake County, SD · 16 mi S

1 open1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

44K huntable acres

Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR

Lincoln County, MN · 46 mi E

1 open3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

6.7K huntable acres

Huron WMD

Beadle County, SD · 63 mi W

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

17.5K huntable acres

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