Waterfowl Production Area · Brookings County, South Dakota

Nelson Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Nelson Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 191 acres located 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 →
191GIS acres
193deeded acres
Brookings Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Nelson 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 Nelson 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 Nelson WPA

Navigate

Destination: Nelson Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
44.50861, -97.08400
DMS
44°30′31.0″N 97°05′02.4″W

Nearest towns

  • Brookings, SD20 mi NW of town
  • Watertown, SD27 mi S of town
  • Madison, SD34 mi N of town

Closest airports

  • FSD Sioux Falls Regional66 mi

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

Shooting hours at Nelson WPA

Today at Nelson 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 AM8:07 PM13h 18m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:35 AM7:05 AM7:41 PM12h 36m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:54 AM7:24 AM7:11 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:11 AM7:41 AM6:46 PM11h 04m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:34 AM7:04 AM5:19 PM10h 15m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:53 AM7:23 AM5:02 PM9h 39m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:14 AM7:44 AM4:50 PM9h 07m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:27 AM7:57 AM4:49 PM8h 52m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:34 AM8:04 AM4:57 PM8h 53m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:31 AM8:01 AM5:12 PM9h 11m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:17 AM7:47 AM5:35 PM9h 47m

Computed for 44.509, -97.084 (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
Cotton WPA761.9 mi EBrookings County
Kangas WPA682.7 mi NEBrookings County
Kangas WPA162.8 mi NEHamlin County
Schultz WPA1493.4 mi SWKingsbury County
Errington WPA5684.1 mi SEBrookings County
Goodfellow WPA2384.7 mi SEBrookings County
Liljegren WPA414.8 mi NEHamlin County
Boeder WPA815.3 mi NEHamlin County

Closest refuges & districts

Madison WMD

Lake County, SD · 37 mi S

1 open1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

44K huntable acres

Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR

Lincoln County, MN · 49 mi E

1 open3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

6.7K huntable acres

Huron WMD

Beadle County, SD · 57 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.