Aurora County, South Dakota: Walk-In Areas, GPAs and public hunting land
Aurora County has 1,685 acres of private land open to public hunting through GFP's Walk-In Area and CREP programs inside its line (8 tracts centered in the county), 11 game production areas covering 2,320 acres, and 5,857 acres of other public land, by the maps GFP publishes. That is 2.2% of the county's 456,157 acres.
Data updated October 2026. Walk-In Areas, CREP, school and public land, federal land and GPAs: GFP map layers. Units: GFP 2026 applications and harvest projections.
Game production area (GFP)Waterfowl production areaSchool and public landWalk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting)Aurora CountyNeighboring countiesLake or riverHighway
| Size | 456,157 acres (713 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Walk-In and CREP land inside the county line | 1,685 acres |
| Walk-In Area tracts centered in the county | 2 (367 acres in all) |
| CREP tracts centered in the county | 6 (1,319 acres in all) |
| Game production areas | 11, 2,320 acres |
| School and public land | 950 acres |
| Other public land | 4,907 acres |
| Deer units | Deer unit 10A |
| Towns | Plankinton, White Lake, Stickney, Storla and Aurora Center |
How much Walk-In Area land is in Aurora County?
1,685 acres inside the county line, 0.4% of the county. 2 Walk-In Area tracts are centered in the county (367 acres in all), and 6 CREP tracts (1,319 acres). Walk-In Areas and CREP land are private ground GFP leases for public hunting. GFP's public hunting atlas shows each tract.
Which game production areas are in Aurora County?
11 GPAs, 2,320 acres in all, largest first:
- Pleasant Lake GPA: 633 acres
- Fish Lake GPA: 392 acres
- Wilmarth Lake GPA: 319 acres
- Humphries Slough GPA: 238 acres
- Nelson Lake GPA: 158 acres
- Crystal Lake GPA: 157 acres
- Kramer Slough GPA: 154 acres
- Stickney Lake GPA: 78 acres
- Tielebein GPA: 77 acres
- Hanson Lake GPA: 74 acres
- Pebble GPA: 40 acres
How much public land is in Aurora County?
1.8% of the county is public land: 8,177 acres, counting the GPAs. The largest share is waterfowl production area, 4,907 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| Waterfowl production area | 4,907 | 1.1% |
| Game production area (GFP) | 2,320 | 0.5% |
| Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting) | 1,685 | 0.4% |
| School and public land | 950 | 0.2% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the Census county line from GFP public hunting atlas layers (Walk-In Areas, CREP, school and public land, federal land) and GFP Managed Lands; overlapping maps are counted once. GFP's handbook counts school and public land among South Dakota's public hunting lands; motor vehicles are not allowed on it except on designated, signed roads, trails and parking areas (page 73).
Which hunting units are in Aurora County?
The units GFP names for Aurora County, with their 2026 licenses and latest harvest projection, for the whole unit:
| Unit | GFP's description | Licenses, 2026 | Taken (GFP projection) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 10A | Aurora | 200 | 110 (2025) |
Sources: GFP 2026 draw applications; GFP harvest projections.
How do you get around Aurora County?
Highways: I-90 (about 48 miles in the county), US 281 (about 31 miles in the county) and SD 42 (about 18 miles in the county). Towns: Plankinton, White Lake, Stickney, Storla and Aurora Center.
How do the counties around Aurora compare?
| County | Walk-In and CREP acres | Tracts | GPA acres | Other public acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brule | 45 | 1 | 8,916 | 3,097 |
| Charles Mix | 1,801 | 12 | 11,621 | 12,769 |
| Davison | 1,228 | 11 | 437 | 229 |
| Douglas | 652 | 7 | 0 | 4,468 |
| Jerauld | 1,025 | 5 | 1,746 | 2,422 |
| Sanborn | 4,998 | 32 | 3,165 | 94 |
Questions hunters ask
How much Walk-In Area land is in Aurora County?
GFP's public hunting atlas shows 1,685 acres of Walk-In Area and CREP land inside Aurora County's line, from 8 tracts centered in the county. No permission is needed to hunt a Walk-In Area; travel there is on foot except on signed trails, by GFP's handbook.
Are there game production areas in Aurora County?
Yes, 11: Pleasant Lake (633 acres), Fish Lake (392 acres), Wilmarth Lake (319 acres), Humphries Slough (238 acres), Nelson Lake (158 acres) and Crystal Lake (157 acres), and 5 more.
What hunting units are in Aurora County?
GFP names deer unit 10A for Aurora County in its 2026 applications.
How much public land is in Aurora County?
1.8% of the county, 8,177 acres, is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules; the largest share is waterfowl production area at 4,907 acres.
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Where these numbers come from
- Walk-In Areas, CREP, school and public land, federal land and GPAs: GFP public hunting atlas layers (Walk-In Areas, CREP, school and public land, federal land) and GFP Managed Lands.
- Units: GFP 2026 draw applications and harvest projections.
- County line, highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 boundaries, TIGER/Line and Gazetteer.
FilledTag is not part of South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks. Walk-In Areas change each year; check GFP's current atlas before you go.
South Dakota hunting Brule County Charles Mix County Davison County Douglas County Jerauld County Sanborn County