Waterfowl Production Area · Columbia County, Wisconsin

Baraboo River Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 950 acres, Baraboo River Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Columbia County, Wisconsin. It is managed by the Leopold Wetland Management District as part of the Columbia 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 Leopold WMD rules →
950GIS acres
942deeded acres
Columbia Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Baraboo River 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 Columbia County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Baraboo River WPA

What you can typically do

  • Hunt waterfowl, upland birds, deer and other game in season under Wisconsin 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 Baraboo River WPA

Navigate

Destination: Baraboo River Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
43.50201, -89.49662
DMS
43°30′07.2″N 89°29′47.8″W

Nearest towns

  • Madison, WI30 mi N of town
  • Necedah, WI46 mi SE of town
  • Fond du Lac, WI56 mi W of town

Closest airports

  • MSN Madison Dane County26 mi

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

Shooting hours at Baraboo River WPA

Today at Baraboo River 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, 20265:50 AM6:20 AM7:35 PM13h 15m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:06 AM6:36 AM7:10 PM12h 35m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:23 AM6:53 AM6:41 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20266:40 AM7:10 AM6:16 PM11h 06m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:02 AM6:32 AM4:50 PM10h 19m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:20 AM6:50 AM4:34 PM9h 44m
Tue, Dec 1, 20266:40 AM7:10 AM4:23 PM9h 13m
Tue, Dec 15, 20266:53 AM7:23 AM4:22 PM8h 59m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:00 AM7:30 AM4:31 PM9h 00m
Fri, Jan 15, 20276:58 AM7:28 AM4:45 PM9h 17m
Mon, Feb 1, 20276:45 AM7:15 AM5:07 PM9h 52m

Computed for 43.502, -89.497 (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
WPA 2 WPA1274.9 mi NWColumbia County
Hinkson Creek WPA3377.2 mi SEColumbia County
Fairfield Marsh WPA2398.2 mi WSauk County
Becker WPA35710 mi NEColumbia County
Rowe WPA33411 mi SEColumbia County
WPA 1 WPA8914 mi NMarquette County
Becker Lake WPA15214 mi NEColumbia County
Schoeneberg Marsh WPA73514 mi SEColumbia County

Closest refuges & districts

Leopold WMD

Columbia County, WI · 1.3 mi W

1 open2 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

13.8K huntable acres

Fox River NWR

Marquette County, WI · 14 mi N

1 open1 closed
🦌

988 huntable acres

Horicon NWR

Dodge County, WI · 43 mi E

3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

21.6K huntable acres

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