Waterfowl Production Area · Codington County, South Dakota

Thompson Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 227 acres, Thompson 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 →
227GIS acres
226deeded acres
Codington Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Thompson 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 Thompson 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 Thompson WPA

Navigate

Destination: Thompson Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
45.12760, -97.20069
DMS
45°07′39.4″N 97°12′02.5″W

Nearest towns

  • Watertown, SD16 mi N of town
  • Brookings, SD60 mi N of town
  • Aberdeen, SD67 mi E of town

Closest airports

  • ABR Aberdeen Regional63 mi

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

Shooting hours at Thompson WPA

Today at Thompson 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 AM8:08 PM13h 19m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:35 AM7:05 AM7:42 PM12h 36m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:55 AM7:25 AM7:11 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:12 AM7:42 AM6:45 PM11h 03m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:36 AM7:06 AM5:18 PM10h 12m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:56 AM7:26 AM5:01 PM9h 35m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:16 AM7:46 AM4:49 PM9h 03m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:30 AM8:00 AM4:47 PM8h 47m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:37 AM8:07 AM4:56 PM8h 49m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:34 AM8:04 AM5:10 PM9h 07m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:19 AM7:49 AM5:34 PM9h 44m

Computed for 45.128, -97.201 (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
Neal WPA813.3 mi WCodington County
Moe WPA1604.2 mi SWCodington County
Halse-Grygiel WPA775.7 mi SWCodington County
Hagen WPA1597.8 mi NWDay County
Berger WPA2098.5 mi NGrant County
Huppler-Springer WPA7258.6 mi SWCodington County
Hamman WPA4168.9 mi NDay County
Burnstad WPA499.2 mi WCodington County

Closest refuges & districts

Waubay NWR

Day County, SD · 21 mi N

1 open1 closed
🦌🎣

4.6K huntable acres

Waubay WMD

Day County, SD · 21 mi N

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

41.1K huntable acres

Big Stone NWR

Lac qui Parle County, MN · 42 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.