Waterfowl Production Area · Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Costello Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Costello Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 161 acres located in Minnehaha 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 →
161GIS acres
161deeded acres
Minnehaha Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Costello 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 Minnehaha County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Costello 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 Costello WPA

Navigate

Destination: Costello Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
43.56302, -96.95631
DMS
43°33′46.9″N 96°57′22.7″W

Nearest towns

  • Sioux Falls, SD11 mi W of town
  • Madison, SD32 mi S of town
  • Brookings, SD52 mi S of town

Closest airports

  • FSD Sioux Falls Regional11 mi

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

Shooting hours at Costello WPA

Today at Costello 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 AM7:11 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:10 AM7:40 AM6:46 PM11h 06m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:32 AM7:02 AM5:20 PM10h 18m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:50 AM7:20 AM5:04 PM9h 43m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:10 AM7:40 AM4:53 PM9h 13m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:23 AM7:53 AM4:52 PM8h 58m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:30 AM8:00 AM5:00 PM8h 60m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:28 AM7:58 AM5:14 PM9h 17m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:15 AM7:45 AM5:36 PM9h 52m

Computed for 43.563, -96.956 (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
Fensterman WPA1452.3 mi WMinnehaha County
Jordan WPA2663.3 mi SWMinnehaha County
Delbridge WPA2053.7 mi SWMinnehaha County
Petri I WPA685.4 mi WMinnehaha County
Voelker I WPA836.7 mi NWMinnehaha County
Hartle WPA1577.5 mi NWMinnehaha County
Johnson WPA2007.5 mi WMinnehaha County
Freese WPA178.0 mi SELincoln County

Closest refuges & districts

Madison WMD

Lake County, SD · 29 mi N

1 open1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

44K huntable acres

Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR

Lincoln County, MN · 75 mi NE

1 open3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

6.7K huntable acres

Lake Andes NWR

Charles Mix County, SD · 78 mi W

1 open3 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

2.2K huntable acres

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