Waterfowl Production Area · Roberts County, South Dakota

Lake Emma Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Lake Emma Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 426 acres located in Roberts County, South Dakota. It is managed by the Waubay Wetland Management District as part of the Roberts 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 Waubay WMD rules →
426GIS acres
425deeded acres
Roberts Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Lake Emma 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 Roberts County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Lake Emma 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 Lake Emma WPA

Navigate

Destination: Lake Emma Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
45.66678, -97.22222
DMS
45°40′00.4″N 97°13′20.0″W

Nearest towns

  • Wahpeton, ND51 mi SW of town
  • Watertown, SD53 mi N of town
  • Aberdeen, SD63 mi E of town

Closest airports

  • ABR Aberdeen Regional60 mi

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

Shooting hours at Lake Emma WPA

Today at Lake Emma 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, 20266:18 AM6:48 AM8:09 PM13h 21m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:35 AM7:05 AM7:42 PM12h 37m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:55 AM7:25 AM7:11 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:13 AM7:43 AM6:45 PM11h 02m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:37 AM7:07 AM5:17 PM10h 10m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:57 AM7:27 AM4:59 PM9h 32m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:18 AM7:48 AM4:47 PM8h 59m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:32 AM8:02 AM4:45 PM8h 43m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:39 AM8:09 AM4:54 PM8h 45m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:35 AM8:05 AM5:09 PM9h 03m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:21 AM7:51 AM5:32 PM9h 41m

Computed for 45.667, -97.222 (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
Lake Emma WPA1,0240.8 mi WMarshall County
Week WPA1632.2 mi NMarshall County
Week WPA1562.5 mi NRoberts County
Buffalo Lake WPA1483.5 mi SMarshall County
Rolstad WPA4054.2 mi NMarshall County
North Red Iron Lake WPA9284.5 mi NWMarshall County
Osterman WPA396.6 mi NWMarshall County
Peterson Memorial WPA6476.9 mi SWMarshall County

Closest refuges & districts

Waubay WMD

Day County, SD · 17 mi S

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

41.1K huntable acres

Waubay NWR

Day County, SD · 18 mi S

1 open1 closed
🦌🎣

4.6K huntable acres

Tewaukon WMD

Sargent County, ND · 24 mi N

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

16K huntable acres

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