Yankton County, South Dakota: Walk-In Areas, GPAs and public hunting land
Yankton County has 5,699 acres of private land open to public hunting through GFP's Walk-In Area and CREP programs inside its line (35 tracts centered in the county), 8 game production areas covering 1,589 acres, and 688 acres of other public land, by the maps GFP publishes. That is 2.3% of the county's 340,645 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 areaBLMCorps of EngineersState park or recreation area (rules vary)Other GFP land (access sites, lakes)Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting)Yankton CountyNeighboring countiesLake or riverHighway
| Size | 340,645 acres (532 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Walk-In and CREP land inside the county line | 5,699 acres |
| Walk-In Area tracts centered in the county | 17 (3,777 acres in all) |
| CREP tracts centered in the county | 18 (1,967 acres in all) |
| Game production areas | 8, 1,589 acres |
| School and public land | 0 acres |
| Other public land | 688 acres |
| Deer units | Deer unit 07A |
| Towns | Yankton, Mission Hill, Utica, Gayville and Lesterville |
How much Walk-In Area land is in Yankton County?
5,699 acres inside the county line, 1.7% of the county. 17 Walk-In Area tracts are centered in the county (3,777 acres in all), and 18 CREP tracts (1,967 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 Yankton County?
8 GPAs, 1,589 acres in all, largest first:
- Marindahl Lake GPA: 587 acres
- Volin-Clay GPA: 319 acres
- Happy Home Farm GPA: 251 acres
- Ulmer Wilderness GPA: 217 acres
- Storm Break GPA: 81 acres
- Tabor - Yankton GPA: 68 acres
- Dulcie Thompson GPA: 40 acres
- Huff Lake GPA: 24 acres
How much public land is in Yankton County?
0.7% of the county is public land: 2,277 acres, counting the GPAs. The largest share is game production area, 1,589 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting) | 5,699 | 1.7% |
| Game production area (GFP) | 1,589 | 0.5% |
| State park or recreation area (rules vary) | 1,383 | 0.4% |
| Waterfowl production area | 298 | 0.1% |
| BLM | 250 | 0.1% |
| Other GFP land (access sites, lakes) | 213 | 0.1% |
| Corps of Engineers | 140 | 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 Yankton County?
The units GFP names for Yankton County, with their 2026 licenses and latest harvest projection, for the whole unit:
| Unit | GFP's description | Licenses, 2026 | Taken (GFP projection) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 07A | Yankton | 50 | 19 (2025) |
Sources: GFP 2026 draw applications; GFP harvest projections.
How do you get around Yankton County?
Highways: SD 50 (about 27 miles in the county), US 81 (about 25 miles in the county), SD 46 (about 24 miles in the county), SD 52 (about 15 miles in the county), SD 314 (about 4 miles in the county) and SD 153 (about 2 miles in the county). Towns: Yankton, Mission Hill, Utica, Gayville, Lesterville and Volin.
How do the counties around Yankton compare?
| County | Walk-In and CREP acres | Tracts | GPA acres | Other public acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bon Homme | 18,830 | 108 | 6,362 | 2,339 |
| Clay | 2,039 | 14 | 624 | 590 |
| Hutchinson | 9,790 | 102 | 2,070 | 785 |
| Turner | 750 | 11 | 1,109 | 994 |
Questions hunters ask
How much Walk-In Area land is in Yankton County?
GFP's public hunting atlas shows 5,699 acres of Walk-In Area and CREP land inside Yankton County's line, from 35 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 Yankton County?
Yes, 8: Marindahl Lake (587 acres), Volin-Clay (319 acres), Happy Home Farm (251 acres), Ulmer Wilderness (217 acres), Storm Break (81 acres) and Tabor - Yankton (68 acres), and 2 more.
What hunting units are in Yankton County?
GFP names deer unit 07A for Yankton County in its 2026 applications.
How much public land is in Yankton County?
0.7% of the county, 2,277 acres, is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules; the largest share is game production area at 1,589 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.
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