Waterfowl Production Area · Day County, South Dakota

Thompson Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 79 acres, Thompson Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Day County, South Dakota. It is managed by the Waubay Wetland Management District as part of the Day 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 →
79GIS acres
80deeded acres
Day 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 Day 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
45.18793, -97.79760
DMS
45°11′16.5″N 97°47′51.4″W

Nearest towns

  • Aberdeen, SD39 mi SE of town
  • Watertown, SD39 mi NW of town
  • Huron, SD61 mi N of town

Closest airports

  • ABR Aberdeen Regional35 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, 20266:21 AM6:51 AM8:11 PM13h 20m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:38 AM7:08 AM7:44 PM12h 36m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:57 AM7:27 AM7:13 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:15 AM7:45 AM6:48 PM11h 03m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:38 AM7:08 AM5:20 PM10h 12m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:58 AM7:28 AM5:03 PM9h 35m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:19 AM7:49 AM4:51 PM9h 02m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:32 AM8:02 AM4:49 PM8h 47m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:39 AM8:09 AM4:58 PM8h 48m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:36 AM8:06 AM5:13 PM9h 06m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:22 AM7:52 AM5:36 PM9h 44m

Computed for 45.188, -97.798 (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
Schmit WPA642.7 mi EDay County
Bristol Grazing Assn. WPA443.0 mi WDay County
Cramer WPA1098.6 mi NDay County
H. Hanson WPA148.8 mi NEDay County
Kuecker WPA809.1 mi EClark County
Lundeen WPA1509.9 mi NDay County
Sonderson, Bruckner, Hanson WPA24510.0 mi WSpink County
Bender WPA15911 mi SEClark County

Closest refuges & districts

Waubay NWR

Day County, SD · 28 mi NE

1 open1 closed
🦌🎣

4.6K huntable acres

Waubay WMD

Day County, SD · 28 mi NE

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

41.1K huntable acres

Sand Lake WMD

Brown County, SD · 44 mi NW

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

44.5K huntable acres

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