Waterfowl Production Area · Spink County, South Dakota

Jesson Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Jesson Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 671 acres located in Spink County, South Dakota. It is managed by the Sand Lake Wetland Management District as part of the Spink 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.

671GIS acres
670deeded acres
Spink Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Jesson 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 Spink County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Jesson 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 Jesson WPA

Navigate

Destination: Jesson Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
44.77516, -98.65851
DMS
44°46′30.6″N 98°39′30.6″W

Nearest towns

  • Huron, SD36 mi NW of town
  • Aberdeen, SD48 mi S of town
  • Watertown, SD76 mi W of town

Closest airports

  • ABR Aberdeen Regional48 mi

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

Shooting hours at Jesson WPA

Today at Jesson 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, 20266:25 AM6:55 AM8:14 PM13h 18m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:41 AM7:11 AM7:47 PM12h 36m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:00 AM7:30 AM7:17 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:18 AM7:48 AM6:52 PM11h 04m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:41 AM7:11 AM5:25 PM10h 14m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:00 AM7:30 AM5:08 PM9h 37m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:21 AM7:51 AM4:56 PM9h 05m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:34 AM8:04 AM4:54 PM8h 50m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:41 AM8:11 AM5:03 PM8h 51m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:38 AM8:08 AM5:17 PM9h 09m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:24 AM7:54 AM5:40 PM9h 46m

Computed for 44.775, -98.659 (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
Lingemann WPA1595.0 mi NWHand County
Mullenberg WPA807.6 mi NWHand County
Becker WPA1238.6 mi NSpink County
Buss WPA4611 mi NWFaulk County
Einspahr WPA15912 mi NSpink County
Zell Lake WPA30814 mi NWFaulk County
Zens WPA8315 mi NFaulk County
Reinhardt WPA21517 mi WHand County

Closest refuges & districts

Huron WMD

Beadle County, SD · 36 mi SE

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

17.5K huntable acres

Sand Lake WMD

Brown County, SD · 68 mi N

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

44.5K huntable acres

Sand Lake NWR

Brown County, SD · 73 mi N

2 special1 closed
🦌🐦🎣

19.5K huntable acres

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