Waterfowl Production Area · Columbia County, Wisconsin

Hinkson Creek Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Hinkson Creek Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 337 acres located 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.

337GIS acres
334deeded acres
Columbia Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Hinkson Creek 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 Hinkson Creek 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 Hinkson Creek WPA

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Destination: Hinkson Creek Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
43.42119, -89.40731
DMS
43°25′16.3″N 89°24′26.3″W

Nearest towns

  • Madison, WI24 mi N of town
  • Necedah, WI54 mi SE of town
  • Fond du Lac, WI54 mi SW of town

Closest airports

  • MSN Madison Dane County20 mi

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

Shooting hours at Hinkson Creek WPA

Today at Hinkson Creek 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, 20266:05 AM6:35 AM7:10 PM12h 35m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:23 AM6:53 AM6:40 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20266:39 AM7:09 AM6:16 PM11h 07m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:01 AM6:31 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 14m
Tue, Dec 15, 20266:53 AM7:23 AM4:22 PM8h 59m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:00 AM7:30 AM4:30 PM9h 01m
Fri, Jan 15, 20276:57 AM7:27 AM4:45 PM9h 18m
Mon, Feb 1, 20276:44 AM7:14 AM5:07 PM9h 53m

Computed for 43.421, -89.407 (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
Rowe WPA3344.4 mi EColumbia County
Baraboo River WPA9507.2 mi NWColumbia County
Schoeneberg Marsh WPA7357.2 mi SEColumbia County
Jackson WPA1489.5 mi SDane County
Anderson WPA12510 mi SEColumbia County
Ludwig WPA3310 mi EColumbia County
Manthey WPA35211 mi EColumbia County
Becker WPA35711 mi NEColumbia County

Closest refuges & districts

Leopold WMD

Columbia County, WI · 8.3 mi NW

1 open2 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

13.8K huntable acres

Fox River NWR

Marquette County, WI · 19 mi N

1 open1 closed
🦌

988 huntable acres

Horicon NWR

Dodge County, WI · 40 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.