Waterfowl Production Area · Dane County, Wisconsin

Gadwall Swamp Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Gadwall Swamp Waterfowl Production Area is a 71-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Dane County, Wisconsin. It is managed by the Leopold Wetland Management District as part of the Dane 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 →
71GIS acres
71deeded acres
Dane Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Gadwall Swamp WPA satellite map

Gold outlines are fee-title Waterfowl Production Areas — public land. Everything outside is typically private; always look for boundary signs.

Loading interactive map…
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 Dane County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Gadwall Swamp 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 Gadwall Swamp WPA

Navigate

Destination: Gadwall Swamp Waterfowl Production Area

Google Maps Apple Maps Waze
Decimal
42.94144, -89.27721
DMS
42°56′29.2″N 89°16′38.0″W

Nearest towns

  • Madison, WI11 mi SE of town
  • Rockford, IL47 mi N of town
  • Milwaukee, WI69 mi W of town

Closest airports

  • MSN Madison Dane County14 mi

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

Shooting hours at Gadwall Swamp WPA

Today at Gadwall Swamp 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 AM7:34 PM13h 14m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:05 AM6:35 AM7:09 PM12h 34m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:22 AM6:52 AM6:40 PM11h 48m
Thu, Oct 15, 20266:38 AM7:08 AM6:16 PM11h 07m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:00 AM6:30 AM4:51 PM10h 21m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:18 AM6:48 AM4:35 PM9h 47m
Tue, Dec 1, 20266:38 AM7:08 AM4:24 PM9h 17m
Tue, Dec 15, 20266:50 AM7:20 AM4:23 PM9h 03m
Fri, Jan 1, 20276:58 AM7:28 AM4:32 PM9h 04m
Fri, Jan 15, 20276:55 AM7:25 AM4:45 PM9h 20m
Mon, Feb 1, 20276:42 AM7:12 AM5:07 PM9h 55m

Computed for 42.941, -89.277 (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
Island Lake WPA2451.1 mi SWDane County
Sime WPA792.5 mi SDane County
Grass Lake WPA533.7 mi SEDane County
Harvey's Marsh WPA6816.8 mi SWDane County
Swan Pond WPA2407.0 mi WDane County
Lund WPA1757.0 mi SRock County
Northrup King WPA858.0 mi WDane County
Sheepskin Marsh WPA2111 mi SERock County

Closest refuges & districts

Leopold WMD

Columbia County, WI · 41 mi N

1 open2 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

13.8K huntable acres

Fox River NWR

Marquette County, WI · 52 mi N

1 open1 closed
🦌

988 huntable acres

Horicon NWR

Dodge County, WI · 54 mi NE

3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

21.6K huntable acres

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