Waterfowl Production Area · McPherson County, South Dakota

Cantwell Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Cantwell Waterfowl Production Area is a 161-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in McPherson County, South Dakota. It is managed by the Sand Lake Wetland Management District as part of the McPherson 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.

161GIS acres
161deeded acres
McPherson Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Cantwell 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 McPherson County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Cantwell 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 Cantwell WPA

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Destination: Cantwell Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
45.76996, -99.13371
DMS
45°46′11.9″N 99°08′01.4″W

Nearest towns

  • Aberdeen, SD38 mi NW of town
  • Mobridge, SD65 mi E of town
  • Jamestown, ND81 mi S 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 Cantwell WPA

Today at Cantwell 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, 20266:26 AM6:56 AM8:17 PM13h 21m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:43 AM7:13 AM7:50 PM12h 37m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:03 AM7:33 AM7:19 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:21 AM7:51 AM6:52 PM11h 01m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:45 AM7:15 AM5:25 PM10h 10m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:05 AM7:35 AM5:07 PM9h 32m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:26 AM7:56 AM4:54 PM8h 58m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:40 AM8:10 AM4:52 PM8h 42m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:47 AM8:17 AM5:01 PM8h 44m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:43 AM8:13 AM5:16 PM9h 03m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:29 AM7:59 AM5:40 PM9h 41m

Computed for 45.770, -99.134 (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
Kempf WPA1762.0 mi SMcPherson County
Dan Ashe WPA3253.0 mi SWMcPherson County
Highland WPA1203.8 mi NWMcPherson County
Hoffman-Gottleib WPA2413.9 mi NEMcPherson County
Noble WPA6314.3 mi NMcPherson County
Seventh Day Adventist WPA1615.4 mi SMcPherson County
Schell WPA1206.1 mi WMcPherson County
Schumacher WPA416.3 mi NWMcPherson County

Closest refuges & districts

Kulm WMD

LaMoure County, ND · 38 mi N

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

45.1K huntable acres

Sand Lake WMD

Brown County, SD · 40 mi E

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

44.5K huntable acres

Sand Lake NWR

Brown County, SD · 43 mi E

2 special1 closed
🦌🐦🎣

19.5K huntable acres

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