Waterfowl Production Area · Hamlin County, South Dakota

Preston Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Preston Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 447 acres located in Hamlin County, South Dakota. It is managed by the Madison Wetland Management District as part of the Hamlin 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 Madison WMD rules →
447GIS acres
441deeded acres
Hamlin Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Preston 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 Hamlin County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Preston 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 Preston WPA

Navigate

Destination: Preston Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
44.67904, -97.16102
DMS
44°40′44.5″N 97°09′39.7″W

Nearest towns

  • Watertown, SD15 mi S of town
  • Brookings, SD31 mi NW of town
  • Madison, SD46 mi N of town

Closest airports

  • FSD Sioux Falls Regional79 mi

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

Shooting hours at Preston WPA

Today at Preston 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 18m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:36 AM7:06 AM7:41 PM12h 36m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:54 AM7:24 AM7:11 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:12 AM7:42 AM6:46 PM11h 04m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:35 AM7:05 AM5:19 PM10h 14m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:54 AM7:24 AM5:02 PM9h 38m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:15 AM7:45 AM4:50 PM9h 06m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:28 AM7:58 AM4:48 PM8h 50m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:35 AM8:05 AM4:57 PM8h 52m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:32 AM8:02 AM5:12 PM9h 10m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:18 AM7:48 AM5:35 PM9h 46m

Computed for 44.679, -97.161 (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
Cox WPA4423.0 mi NEHamlin County
Wayrynen WPA1013.2 mi NEHamlin County
Lake Marsh WPA3605.4 mi SWHamlin County
Opdahl WPA896.2 mi WHamlin County
Struckman II WPA359.1 mi NWHamlin County
Liljegren WPA419.6 mi SEHamlin County
Boeder WPA8110 mi SEHamlin County
Kangas WPA1611 mi SEHamlin County

Closest refuges & districts

Madison WMD

Lake County, SD · 49 mi S

1 open1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

44K huntable acres

Waubay NWR

Day County, SD · 52 mi N

1 open1 closed
🦌🎣

4.6K huntable acres

Waubay WMD

Day County, SD · 52 mi N

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

41.1K huntable acres

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