Waterfowl Production Area · Douglas County, South Dakota

Denning Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 155 acres, Denning Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Douglas County, South Dakota. It is managed by the Lake Andes Wetland Management District as part of the Douglas County Waterfowl Production Area of SD 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.

155GIS acres
156deeded acres
Douglas Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Denning 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 Douglas County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Denning 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 Denning WPA

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Destination: Denning Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
43.34452, -98.53430
DMS
43°20′40.3″N 98°32′03.5″W

Nearest towns

  • Lake Andes, SD13 mi N of town
  • Mitchell, SD36 mi SW of town
  • Huron, SD72 mi S of town

Closest airports

  • FSD Sioux Falls Regional91 mi

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

Shooting hours at Denning WPA

Today at Denning 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, 20266:27 AM6:57 AM8:11 PM13h 15m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:42 AM7:12 AM7:46 PM12h 34m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:59 AM7:29 AM7:17 PM11h 48m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:16 AM7:46 AM6:53 PM11h 07m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:38 AM7:08 AM5:27 PM10h 19m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:56 AM7:26 AM5:11 PM9h 45m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:16 AM7:46 AM5:00 PM9h 14m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:29 AM7:59 AM4:59 PM8h 60m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:36 AM8:06 AM5:07 PM9h 01m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:33 AM8:03 AM5:21 PM9h 18m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:20 AM7:50 AM5:43 PM9h 53m

Computed for 43.345, -98.534 (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
Korevaar WPA291.3 mi NEDouglas County
Tucek WPA1071.6 mi SWCharles Mix County
Trout WPA2001.9 mi SCharles Mix County
DeVelder WPA2292.5 mi NWDouglas County
King WPA1712.8 mi SEDouglas County
Coler WPA2283.1 mi EDouglas County
Raysby WPA2463.5 mi SCharles Mix County
Varilek WPA3204.1 mi WCharles Mix County

Closest refuges & districts

Lake Andes NWR

Charles Mix County, SD · 12 mi SE

1 open3 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

2.2K huntable acres

Lake Andes WMD

Charles Mix County, SD · 13 mi S

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

15.1K huntable acres

Karl E. Mundt NWR

Gregory County, SD · 22 mi S

1 special2 closed
🦌

697 huntable acres

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