Waterfowl Production Area · Edmunds County, South Dakota

Thompson Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 123 acres, Thompson Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Edmunds County, South Dakota. It is managed by the Sand Lake Wetland Management District as part of the Edmunds 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 Sand Lake WMD rules →
123GIS acres
123deeded acres
Edmunds 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 Edmunds 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
45.34144, -99.25983
DMS
45°20′29.2″N 99°15′35.4″W

Nearest towns

  • Aberdeen, SD38 mi W of town
  • Mobridge, SD58 mi E of town
  • Huron, SD85 mi NW of town

Closest airports

  • ABR Aberdeen Regional41 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, 20266:27 AM6:57 AM8:17 PM13h 20m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:44 AM7:14 AM7:50 PM12h 37m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:03 AM7:33 AM7:19 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:21 AM7:51 AM6:53 PM11h 02m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:44 AM7:14 AM5:26 PM10h 11m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:04 AM7:34 AM5:08 PM9h 34m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:25 AM7:55 AM4:56 PM9h 01m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:39 AM8:09 AM4:54 PM8h 46m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:46 AM8:16 AM5:03 PM8h 47m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:42 AM8:12 AM5:18 PM9h 05m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:28 AM7:58 AM5:41 PM9h 43m

Computed for 45.341, -99.260 (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
Anderson WPA3661.9 mi SEEdmunds County
Allbee WPA1842.2 mi WEdmunds County
Tang WPA4053.9 mi SEdmunds County
Loyalton WPA365.2 mi SEEdmunds County
Holsing WPA975.6 mi SEEdmunds County
Scherf WPA956.0 mi NWEdmunds County
Woodworth WPA1607.5 mi SEEdmunds County
Seidschlaw WPA979.3 mi SEFaulk County

Closest refuges & districts

Sand Lake WMD

Brown County, SD · 53 mi NE

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

44.5K huntable acres

Sand Lake NWR

Brown County, SD · 58 mi NE

2 special1 closed
🦌🐦🎣

19.5K huntable acres

Kulm WMD

LaMoure County, ND · 68 mi N

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

45.1K huntable acres

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