Waterfowl Production Area · Jefferson County, Wisconsin

Rockdale Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 34 acres, Rockdale Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Jefferson County, Wisconsin. It is managed by the Leopold Wetland Management District as part of the Jefferson 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 →
34GIS acres
33deeded acres
Jefferson Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Rockdale 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 Jefferson County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Rockdale 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 Rockdale WPA

Navigate

Destination: Rockdale Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
42.95126, -89.00572
DMS
42°57′04.5″N 89°00′20.6″W

Nearest towns

  • Madison, WI22 mi E of town
  • Rockford, IL47 mi N of town
  • Milwaukee, WI56 mi W of town

Closest airports

  • MSN Madison Dane County21 mi

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

Shooting hours at Rockdale WPA

Today at Rockdale 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, 20265:49 AM6:19 AM7:33 PM13h 14m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:04 AM6:34 AM7:08 PM12h 34m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:21 AM6:51 AM6:39 PM11h 48m
Thu, Oct 15, 20266:37 AM7:07 AM6:15 PM11h 07m
Sun, Nov 1, 20265:59 AM6:29 AM4:50 PM10h 21m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:17 AM6:47 AM4:34 PM9h 47m
Tue, Dec 1, 20266:36 AM7:06 AM4:23 PM9h 17m
Tue, Dec 15, 20266:49 AM7:19 AM4:22 PM9h 02m
Fri, Jan 1, 20276:56 AM7:26 AM4:30 PM9h 04m
Fri, Jan 15, 20276:54 AM7:24 AM4:44 PM9h 20m
Mon, Feb 1, 20276:41 AM7:11 AM5:06 PM9h 55m

Computed for 42.951, -89.006 (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
Johnson WPA410.9 mi NEJefferson County
Red Cedar Lake WPA1652.6 mi NEJefferson County
Sheepskin Marsh WPA219.5 mi SWRock County
Grass Lake WPA5313 mi WDane County
Gadwall Swamp WPA7114 mi WDane County
Sime WPA7914 mi WDane County
Island Lake WPA24515 mi WDane County
Lund WPA17516 mi SWRock County

Closest refuges & districts

Leopold WMD

Columbia County, WI · 46 mi NW

1 open2 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

13.8K huntable acres

Horicon NWR

Dodge County, WI · 47 mi NE

3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

21.6K huntable acres

Hackmatack NWR

McHenry County, IL · 48 mi SE

2 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

655 huntable acres

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