Waterfowl Production Area · Lincoln County, South Dakota

Atkins Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Atkins Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 162 acres located in Lincoln County, South Dakota. It is managed by the Madison Wetland Management District as part of the Lincoln 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 →
162GIS acres
160deeded acres
Lincoln Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Atkins 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 Lincoln County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Atkins 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 Atkins WPA

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Destination: Atkins Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
43.45740, -96.85124
DMS
43°27′26.6″N 96°51′04.5″W

Nearest towns

  • Sioux Falls, SD8.3 mi SW of town
  • Madison, SD40 mi S of town
  • Brookings, SD59 mi S of town

Closest airports

  • FSD Sioux Falls Regional10 mi

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

Shooting hours at Atkins WPA

Today at Atkins 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 AM8:05 PM13h 15m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:35 AM7:05 AM7:40 PM12h 35m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:53 AM7:23 AM7:10 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:09 AM7:39 AM6:46 PM11h 06m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:31 AM7:01 AM5:20 PM10h 19m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:50 AM7:20 AM5:04 PM9h 44m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:09 AM7:39 AM4:53 PM9h 13m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:22 AM7:52 AM4:51 PM8h 59m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:30 AM8:00 AM5:00 PM9h 01m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:27 AM7:57 AM5:14 PM9h 17m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:14 AM7:44 AM5:36 PM9h 52m

Computed for 43.457, -96.851 (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
Freese WPA171.0 mi NWLincoln County
Delbridge WPA2058.3 mi NWMinnehaha County
Costello WPA1619.0 mi NWMinnehaha County
Jordan WPA2669.2 mi NWMinnehaha County
Fensterman WPA14510 mi NWMinnehaha County
Petri I WPA6813 mi NWMinnehaha County
Johnson WPA20015 mi NWMinnehaha County
Voelker I WPA8316 mi NWMinnehaha County

Closest refuges & districts

Madison WMD

Lake County, SD · 37 mi N

1 open1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

44K huntable acres

Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR

Lincoln County, MN · 78 mi NE

1 open3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

6.7K huntable acres

Lake Andes NWR

Charles Mix County, SD · 81 mi W

1 open3 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

2.2K huntable acres

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