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WPA · West Central region
Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area for Wisconsin hunters
A hunter's summary of Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area in Dunn County: zones and quota, rules, CWD numbers and local help.
Photo: USDAgov (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Getting to Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area
- Parking areaParking · 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
Parking, trailhead and gate locations come from OpenStreetMap contributors. Roads into public land can be gated or seasonal; check with the managing agency before you go.
Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area: record card
Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area: a federal waterfowl production area, located in Dunn County. Region on record: the DNR West Central Region. The Fish and Wildlife Service writes the rules on the ground. The 672 acres on record put it 5th of the 103 waterfowl production areas we list. Base town: Rock Falls, some 2 miles away. St. Croix Wetland Management District is the larger unit around it.
From the source page (FWS Realty GIS acres (SUM_GISACRES) for the unit); region from the DNR county layer. Checked October 19, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area
Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area deer unit, quota and game zones
The deer unit is Dunn, in the Central Farmland zone. The 2026 antlerless quota for that unit is 15,000. For black bear this is Zone E, with no hound hunting; 2,628 permits for 2026. Turkey hunting falls under Zone 4, which had 34,997 spring permits in 2025. The DNR counts Dunn County among its CWD-affected counties. Dunn County sits under the DNR deer baiting and feeding ban.
The deer unit around Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area
| DMU | Deer zone | Antlerless quota | Public-land bonus | Private-land bonus | Free tags per license |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunn | Central Farmland | 15,000 | 492 | 2,993 | 3 |
Bear, turkey and bird zones at Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area
| Zone | Rule | Numbers | Extra | 2025 result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear E | Bait only | 185 target, 2,628 permits | 1 point | 128 bears in 2025 |
| Wild turkey 4 | 34,997 spring tags (2025) | 24% success | 8,472 gobblers | 1,500 fall bonus |
| Grouse zone A | Sep 12–Jan 3 | 5 a day | ||
| Ducks | Northern | Sep 26–Nov 24 | ||
| Geese | Northern | Sep 16–Dec 16 | ||
| Wolf zone 6 | Closed | Federally endangered |
Zones from the DNR zone layers as recorded in lands.json; quotas and bonus tags from the 2026 antlerless quota table; bear figures from the 2026 bear drawing summary and 2025 bear harvest; turkey from the 2025 spring turkey report; CWD and baiting lists from the DNR. Checked October 19, 2026.
Rules on the ground at Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area
Entry terms for Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area
Hunt waterfowl, upland game and big game here under state seasons, unless posted; remove all equipment at day's end. Oak Ridge WPA (420 acres) is deer-only in fall; posted parts of St. Croix Prairie and Prairie Flats-South WPAs are closed.
Wisconsin rules that follow you to Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area
During any firearm deer season, everyone hunting except waterfowlers wears blaze orange or fluorescent pink on at least half the clothing above the waist, and on half of any cap. GameReg registration is due by 5 p.m. the day after you recover the animal.
Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area: licenses and tags
Go Wild carries every license. For antlerless deer on public ground, use a public-access tag for the right DMU.
Access from the source page; closures from the DNR closed and restricted areas layer; stocking and dove fields from the DNR upland bird layers; rules from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 regulations; prices from Go Wild. Checked October 19, 2026.
Game and bag limits at Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area
Ducks and geese, whitetails, wild turkeys, pheasants, squirrels, cottontails and hares and raccoons, foxes and coyotes, per the property record.
Ducks and geese
White-tailed deer
Wild turkey
Pheasant
Small game
Furbearers
Other legal game follows the Dunn County season table below.
Species from the property record (species named by the source); bag limits from the DNR regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Every Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area season on one table
Private and public land share these dates. A state park, refuge or Fort McCoy can close sooner, so read the property page before you go.
| Animal | Segment | Scope | Starts | Ends | Open now? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery and crossbow | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth/disabled gun hunt | Statewide | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun deer (9-day) | Statewide | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Muzzleloader | Statewide | Nov 30, 2026 | Dec 9, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | December antlerless hunt | Statewide | Dec 10, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Antlerless-only Holiday Hunt | Holiday Hunt: Dunn | Dec 24, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone D | Sep 9, 2026 | Sep 15, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone E | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone D | Sep 16, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone D | Oct 7, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 4 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 4 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 4 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 4 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 4 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 4 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 4 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 4 | May 26, 2027 | Jun 1, 2027 | |
| Ruffed Grouse | Ruffed grouse | Grouse Zone A | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Pheasant | Pheasant | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Bobwhite Quail | Bobwhite quail | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 9, 2026 | |
| Hungarian partridge | Hungarian partridge | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Squirrel | Squirrel | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Cottontail | Cottontail rabbit | Northern cottontail zone | Sep 12, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Snowshoe Hare | Snowshoe hare | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| American Crow | Crow | Statewide | Nov 21, 2026 | Mar 24, 2027 | |
| Ducks | Youth waterfowl hunt | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular duck | Northern Duck Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Nov 24, 2026 | |
| Teal | Early teal | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 9, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular goose | Northern Goose Zone | Sep 16, 2026 | Dec 16, 2026 | |
| Canada goose | Early Canada goose | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 15, 2026 | |
| Raccoon | Raccoon (resident) | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Raccoon (nonresident) | Statewide | Oct 31, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Red and gray fox | Fox (red and gray) | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Coyote (hunting) | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Bobcat | Bobcat, Period 1 | North of Hwy. 64 | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 25, 2026 | |
| Bobcat | Bobcat, Period 1 | South of Hwy. 64 | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 25, 2026 | |
| Bobcat | Bobcat, Period 2 | North of Hwy. 64 | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Bobcat, Period 2 | South of Hwy. 64 | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Unprotected species | Unprotected species | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
From the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Fall 2026-Spring 2027 hunting regulations and season dates, checked October 19, 2026.
Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area and the land it belongs with
Parent property: St. Croix Wetland Management District, which has 46 listed parts.
The rest of St. Croix Wetland Management District
| Page | Type | County | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Ridge | WPA | St. Croix | 632 |
| Ten Mile | WPA | St. Croix | 516 |
| Prairie Flats – South | WPA | St. Croix | 501 |
| Betterly | WPA | St. Croix | 485 |
| Erickson | WPA | St. Croix | 476 |
| Bass Lake | WPA | St. Croix | 423 |
| Stanton Prairie | WPA | St. Croix | 353 |
| Deer Park | WPA | St. Croix | 351 |
| Kostka | WPA | St. Croix | 350 |
| Red Cedar | WPA | Dunn | 336 |
| Star Prairie | WPA | St. Croix | 312 |
| Bierbrauer | WPA | St. Croix, Polk | 275 |
| Three Lakes | WPA | St. Croix | 249 |
| Clapp | WPA | St. Croix | 239 |
| Prairie Flats – North | WPA | St. Croix | 219 |
Harvest numbers for the country around Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area
2025 in Dunn County: 3,858 bucks, 5,260 antlerless, 9,118 in all. Range since 2016: 6,526 to 9,118 deer a year. Early 2026 registrations (archery, crossbow, youth hunt): Dunn 790. The DNR sampled 357 deer from Dunn County in 2025; 7 had CWD. 15 positives overall, from 3,643 deer. In 2025, Dunn County produced 46 registered bears. Figures are for the whole county unit, not Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area alone; the DNR does not report harvest by property.
Dunn County unit harvest
| Season | Bucks | Does and fawns | Registered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,858 | 5,260 | 9,118 |
| 2024 | 3,540 | 4,279 | 7,819 |
| 2023 | 3,040 | 3,939 | 6,979 |
| 2022 | 3,492 | 4,590 | 8,082 |
| 2021 | 3,260 | 3,727 | 6,987 |
| 2020 | 3,547 | 4,586 | 8,133 |
CWD samples, Dunn County
| Year | Tested | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 24 | 0 |
| 2025 | 357 | 7 |
| 2024 | 318 | 2 |
| 2023 | 274 | 1 |
| 2022 | 345 | 1 |
| 2021 | 333 | 1 |
Bears registered in Dunn County
| Season | Bears | Boars | Sows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 51 | 30 | 21 |
| 2025 | 46 | 26 | 20 |
Deer from DNR Deer Metrics harvest history and the 2026 harvest to date; CWD from the DNR CWD summary; bears from the DNR bear harvest reports. Checked October 19, 2026.
Bed, fuel and a butcher near Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area
Where to sleep, where to buy shells, where to drop off a deer.
| Town | County | Miles | Population | Public land nearby |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Falls | Dunn | 2.2 mi | — | 9,360 |
| Eau Claire | Eau Claire | 12 mi | 72,331 | 4,402 |
| Elk Mound | Dunn | 13 mi | 1,094 | 8,100 |
| Downsville | Dunn | 14 mi | — | 8,528 |
Season and zone pages by county: Dunn County.
Who processes a deer from Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area
Where to ask about Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area
Licenses and questions for Dunn County go through the DNR Eau Claire Service Center.
Towns and populations from the Census 2024 estimates; public acres within 10 miles from the land layers; businesses from store locators and listings (license-only agents left out); offices from DNR, USFS and USFWS pages. Checked October 19, 2026. Call ahead.
Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area and nearby public ground
Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area at the big pin; the nearest 10 public places around it. Combined, 10,273 acres are on record.
| Public land | Type | Acres | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Falls | Wildlife area | 116 | 2.1 mi | northwest |
| Lower Chippewa River | State natural area | 3,377 | 5.4 mi | north |
| Lowes Creek Streambank Protection Area | Habitat area | 275 | 8.8 mi | east |
| Big Swamp Tamarack Fen | State natural area | 354 | 9.3 mi | southwest |
| Big Swamp | Wildlife area | 799 | 9.5 mi | southwest |
| Dunnville Barrens | State natural area | 633 | 9.7 mi | west |
| Clear Creek (Remnant) | Fishery area | 17 | 10 mi | east |
| Dunnville | Wildlife area | 4,354 | 10 mi | west |
| Buffalo River Trail Prairies | State natural area | 153 | 11 mi | southeast |
| Muddy Creek Sedge Meadow | State natural area | 195 | 12 mi | north |
Points from the DNR managed lands, SNA, county forest, FWS realty, USFS, NPS and DoD layers (FWS National Realty FWSInterest_Simplified_Authoritative (unit centroid) (polygon centroid)). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Shooting-hour table for Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area
Two tables cover the state, one for the Northern Area and one for the Southern Area, each for Zone A. West of 88 degrees you add 4 minutes per degree of longitude.
| Date | Why it matters | Northern Area | Southern Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2026 | Bow, turkey, grouse opener | 6:11 a.m. to 7:43 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 7:42 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Pheasant and duck dates | 6:55 a.m. to 6:37 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 6:40 p.m. |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Early November | 6:16 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opener | 6:44 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. | 6:39 a.m. to 4:56 p.m. |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Muzzleloader week | 6:56 a.m. to 4:44 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 4:51 p.m. |
| Dec 24, 2026 | Holiday Hunt opener | 7:15 a.m. to 4:46 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 4:54 p.m. |
| Jan 3, 2027 | Archery close (most units) | 7:17 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 5:02 p.m. |
Deer, bear, elk, small game and fall turkey table times from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources shooting hours tables, plus the Zone E offset of 16 minutes for longitude 91.67 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area: nearest ranges
About 15 miles separates Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area from Menomonie Shooting Range, the nearest public map range. Club ranges within 30 miles are included.
rifle, handgun on file
archery, handgun, rifle, trap, shotgun on file
sporting clays, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire, muzzleloader on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
Before-the-trip answers for Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area
What deer tags work on Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area?
It is in Dunn (Central Farmland). This year the antlerless quota is 15,000.
How hard is a bear permit for Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area?
Zone E; hounds may not be used there.
Which zone do I apply for to hunt turkeys at Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area?
Zone 4. Success in 2025 was 24%.
Which goose zone is Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area in?
Ducks follow the Northern zone, Canada geese the Northern zone. Opening day for Northern Zone ducks is Sep 26.
Can I bait deer at Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area?
No bait or feed in Dunn County. The county list for CWD includes Dunn County.
When does orange apply at Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area?
Pink counts the same as orange: 50% above the waist in firearm deer seasons.
Does a Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area deer go into GameReg?
By 5 p.m. the following day, through GameReg; bears also go to a station or online the same way.
What paperwork does Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area need?
Gun deer ($24), archer ($24) or small game ($18) for residents; nonresident gun deer is $200.
Which public land sits closest to Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area?
Rock Falls Wildlife Area (2 miles), Lower Chippewa River State Natural Area (5 miles) and Lowes Creek Streambank Protection Area (9 miles), each with a page here.
What does Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area belong to?
A piece of St. Croix Wetland Management District.
Is Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area DNR, county or federal ground?
A federal waterfowl production area; the manager is the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Is Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area a big property?
672 acres in the source data.
Which town works as a base for Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area?
Dunn County; Rock Falls, the nearest town we cover, is 2 miles away.
Signing off on Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area
Gates, refuges and open areas at Rock Creek Waterfowl Production Area are the manager's call; confirm them before opening day.
Sources for this page: FWS realty layer · USFWS: hunting · USFWS: st croix wetland management district · eCFR: section 32.68; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); urbanwoodchuck (CC BY 2.0).