Waterfowl Production Area · Dane County, Wisconsin

Grass Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Grass Lake Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 53 acres located 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 →
53GIS acres
54deeded acres
Dane Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Grass Lake 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 Dane County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Grass Lake 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 Grass Lake WPA

Navigate

Destination: Grass Lake Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
42.89191, -89.24791
DMS
42°53′30.9″N 89°14′52.5″W

Nearest towns

  • Madison, WI15 mi SE of town
  • Rockford, IL44 mi N of town
  • Milwaukee, WI68 mi W of town

Closest airports

  • MSN Madison Dane County18 mi

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

Shooting hours at Grass Lake WPA

Today at Grass Lake 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 08m
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, 20266:37 AM7:07 AM4:24 PM9h 17m
Tue, Dec 15, 20266:50 AM7:20 AM4:23 PM9h 03m
Fri, Jan 1, 20276:57 AM7:27 AM4:32 PM9h 04m
Fri, Jan 15, 20276:55 AM7:25 AM4:46 PM9h 21m
Mon, Feb 1, 20276:42 AM7:12 AM5:07 PM9h 55m

Computed for 42.892, -89.248 (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
Sime WPA791.5 mi NWDane County
Island Lake WPA2453.4 mi NWDane County
Gadwall Swamp WPA713.7 mi NWDane County
Lund WPA1754.2 mi SWRock County
Harvey's Marsh WPA6815.0 mi SWDane County
Sheepskin Marsh WPA218.2 mi SERock County
Swan Pond WPA2409.3 mi NWDane County
Northrup King WPA8511 mi NWDane County

Closest refuges & districts

Leopold WMD

Columbia County, WI · 45 mi N

1 open2 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

13.8K huntable acres

Hackmatack NWR

McHenry County, IL · 53 mi SE

2 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

655 huntable acres

Fox River NWR

Marquette County, WI · 56 mi N

1 open1 closed
🦌

988 huntable acres

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