Waterfowl Production Area · Codington County, South Dakota

Orthaus Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 120 acres, Orthaus Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Codington County, South Dakota. It is managed by the Waubay Wetland Management District as part of the Codington 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 Waubay WMD rules →
120GIS acres
120deeded acres
Codington Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Orthaus 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 Codington County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Orthaus 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 Orthaus WPA

Navigate

Destination: Orthaus Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
45.00111, -97.35118
DMS
45°00′04.0″N 97°21′04.2″W

Nearest towns

  • Watertown, SD13 mi NW of town
  • Brookings, SD55 mi NW of town
  • Huron, SD61 mi NE of town

Closest airports

  • ABR Aberdeen Regional61 mi

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

Shooting hours at Orthaus WPA

Today at Orthaus 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, 20266:20 AM6:50 AM8:09 PM13h 19m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:36 AM7:06 AM7:42 PM12h 36m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:55 AM7:25 AM7:12 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:13 AM7:43 AM6:46 PM11h 03m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:36 AM7:06 AM5:19 PM10h 13m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:56 AM7:26 AM5:02 PM9h 36m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:16 AM7:46 AM4:50 PM9h 03m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:30 AM8:00 AM4:48 PM8h 48m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:37 AM8:07 AM4:57 PM8h 50m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:34 AM8:04 AM5:11 PM9h 08m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:20 AM7:50 AM5:34 PM9h 45m

Computed for 45.001, -97.351 (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
L. Johnson WPA2970.6 mi NECodington County
Horseshoe Lake WPA6692.1 mi SCodington County
Pointed Roe WPA1782.1 mi SWCodington County
Bursvold-Darling WPA4442.9 mi WCodington County
U.S.(1a) WPA1.93.2 mi SECodington County
Rassmussen WPA1824.7 mi NWCodington County
Huppler-Springer WPA7255.0 mi NCodington County
Coplan WPA1595.1 mi SECodington County

Closest refuges & districts

Waubay NWR

Day County, SD · 29 mi N

1 open1 closed
🦌🎣

4.6K huntable acres

Waubay WMD

Day County, SD · 29 mi N

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

41.1K huntable acres

Big Stone NWR

Lac qui Parle County, MN · 51 mi E

2 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

9.6K huntable acres

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