Waterfowl Production Area · McPherson County, South Dakota

Perch Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Perch Lake Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 2,039 acres located 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.

2,039GIS acres
2,041deeded acres
McPherson Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Perch Lake 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 Perch Lake 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 Perch Lake WPA

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Destination: Perch Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
45.65420, -99.18523
DMS
45°39′15.1″N 99°11′06.8″W

Nearest towns

  • Aberdeen, SD36 mi W of town
  • Mobridge, SD61 mi E of town
  • Jamestown, ND90 mi S of town

Closest airports

  • ABR Aberdeen Regional40 mi

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

Shooting hours at Perch Lake WPA

Today at Perch Lake 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 AM6:53 PM11h 02m
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 AM4:55 PM8h 59m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:40 AM8:10 AM4:53 PM8h 43m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:47 AM8:17 AM5:02 PM8h 45m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:43 AM8:13 AM5:17 PM9h 03m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:29 AM7:59 AM5:40 PM9h 42m

Computed for 45.654, -99.185 (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
Adam-Giener WPA1,1871.6 mi WMcPherson County
Charley-Harley WPA3411.9 mi NMcPherson County
Seventh Day Adventist WPA1613.0 mi NMcPherson County
West WPA2413.5 mi SWMcPherson County
Pulfrey WPA1664.4 mi NWMcPherson County
Dan Ashe WPA3256.3 mi NMcPherson County
Kempf WPA1766.4 mi NMcPherson County
Schell WPA1207.4 mi NWMcPherson County

Closest refuges & districts

Sand Lake WMD

Brown County, SD · 43 mi E

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

44.5K huntable acres

Kulm WMD

LaMoure County, ND · 46 mi N

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

45.1K huntable acres

Sand Lake NWR

Brown County, SD · 46 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.