Waterfowl Production Area · Lake County, South Dakota

Gelderman Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 74 acres, Gelderman Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Lake County, South Dakota. It is managed by the Madison Wetland Management District as part of the Minnehaha 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 →
74GIS acres
74deeded acres
Lake Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Gelderman 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 Lake County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Gelderman 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 Gelderman WPA

Navigate

Destination: Gelderman Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
43.84662, -96.98564
DMS
43°50′47.8″N 96°59′08.3″W

Nearest towns

  • Madison, SD13 mi SE of town
  • Sioux Falls, SD25 mi NW of town
  • Brookings, SD33 mi S of town

Closest airports

  • FSD Sioux Falls Regional22 mi

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

Shooting hours at Gelderman WPA

Today at Gelderman 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, 20266:20 AM6:50 AM8:06 PM13h 16m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:35 AM7:05 AM7:40 PM12h 35m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:53 AM7:23 AM7:11 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:10 AM7:40 AM6:46 PM11h 06m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:32 AM7:02 AM5:20 PM10h 17m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:51 AM7:21 AM5:03 PM9h 42m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:11 AM7:41 AM4:52 PM9h 11m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:24 AM7:54 AM4:51 PM8h 56m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:31 AM8:01 AM4:59 PM8h 58m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:29 AM7:59 AM5:14 PM9h 15m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:15 AM7:45 AM5:36 PM9h 51m

Computed for 43.847, -96.986 (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
Buffalo Lake WPA1,1163.2 mi WMinnehaha County
Schaefer WPA1493.2 mi SWMinnehaha County
Andrews WPA1303.4 mi SEMinnehaha County
Acheson WPA974.9 mi SWMinnehaha County
Clear Lake WPA1555.4 mi SMinnehaha County
Jorgenson WPA495.8 mi SEMinnehaha County
Graham WPA996.8 mi WMinnehaha County
Long Lake WPA6007.0 mi NLake County

Closest refuges & districts

Madison WMD

Lake County, SD · 9.9 mi NW

1 open1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

44K huntable acres

Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR

Lincoln County, MN · 61 mi NE

1 open3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

6.7K huntable acres

Huron WMD

Beadle County, SD · 71 mi NW

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

17.5K huntable acres

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