Lincoln County, South Dakota: Walk-In Areas, GPAs and public hunting land
Lincoln County has 1,782 acres of private land open to public hunting through GFP's Walk-In Area and CREP programs inside its line (14 tracts centered in the county), 6 game production areas covering 1,512 acres, and 179 acres of other public land, by the maps GFP publishes. That is 0.9% of the county's 369,923 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 areaState park or recreation area (rules vary)Other GFP land (access sites, lakes)Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting)Lincoln CountyNeighboring countiesLake or riverHighway
| Size | 369,923 acres (578 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Walk-In and CREP land inside the county line | 1,782 acres |
| Walk-In Area tracts centered in the county | 13 (1,507 acres in all) |
| CREP tracts centered in the county | 1 (275 acres in all) |
| Game production areas | 6, 1,512 acres |
| School and public land | 0 acres |
| Other public land | 179 acres |
| Deer units | Deer unit 44A |
| Towns | Harrisburg, Tea, Canton, Lennox and Worthing |
How much Walk-In Area land is in Lincoln County?
1,782 acres inside the county line, 0.5% of the county. 13 Walk-In Area tracts are centered in the county (1,507 acres in all), and 1 CREP tract (275 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 Lincoln County?
6 GPAs, 1,512 acres in all, largest first:
- Oak Ridge GPA: 569 acres
- Johnson GPA: 328 acres
- Mckee GPA: 252 acres
- Fish GPA: 199 acres
- Worthing GPA: 119 acres
- Rolling GPA: 43 acres
How much public land is in Lincoln County?
0.5% of the county is public land: 1,691 acres, counting the GPAs. The largest share is game production area, 1,512 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting) | 1,782 | 0.5% |
| State park or recreation area (rules vary) | 1,726 | 0.5% |
| Game production area (GFP) | 1,512 | 0.4% |
| Other GFP land (access sites, lakes) | 868 | 0.2% |
| Waterfowl production area | 179 | under 0.1% |
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.
Which hunting units are in Lincoln County?
The units GFP names for Lincoln County, with their 2026 licenses and latest harvest projection, for the whole unit:
| Unit | GFP's description | Licenses, 2026 | Taken (GFP projection) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 44A | Lincoln (exc. Newton Hills SP) | 50 | 23 (2025) |
Sources: GFP 2026 draw applications; GFP harvest projections.
How do you get around Lincoln County?
Highways: I-29 (about 58 miles in the county), SD 11 (about 30 miles in the county), US 18 (about 26 miles in the county), SD 115 (about 14 miles in the county), SD 17 (about 12 miles in the county) and SD 44 (about 8 miles in the county). Towns: Harrisburg, Tea, Canton, Lennox, Worthing, Hudson, Fairview and Shindler.
How do the counties around Lincoln compare?
| County | Walk-In and CREP acres | Tracts | GPA acres | Other public acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay | 2,039 | 14 | 624 | 590 |
| Minnehaha | 394 | 2 | 2,438 | 4,735 |
| Turner | 750 | 11 | 1,109 | 994 |
| Union | 2,460 | 26 | 965 | 96 |
Questions hunters ask
How much Walk-In Area land is in Lincoln County?
GFP's public hunting atlas shows 1,782 acres of Walk-In Area and CREP land inside Lincoln County's line, from 14 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 Lincoln County?
Yes, 6: Oak Ridge (569 acres), Johnson (328 acres), Mckee (252 acres), Fish (199 acres), Worthing (119 acres) and Rolling (43 acres).
What hunting units are in Lincoln County?
GFP names deer unit 44A for Lincoln County in its 2026 applications.
How much public land is in Lincoln County?
0.5% of the county, 1,691 acres, is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules; the largest share is game production area at 1,512 acres.
Get a South Dakota hunt plan when they open
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Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, South Dakota included.
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 Clay County Minnehaha County Turner County Union County