This weekly outlook is updated each week during the waterfowl hunting season. It is compiled from state and federal wildlife manager reports and waterfowl surveys from across Minnesota.
Weekly conservation officer reports also contain information about waterfowl hunter success.
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Weekly reports
Updated at 09:16 AM CST on Wednesday, November 26, 2025
- Statewide
This will be the last report for the year. The north zone is now closed, the central zone will be closing Sunday and the South zone the following Sunday. Looking at the weather forecast most small bodies of water will be frozen by Friday or Saturday throughout the state. Larger lakes and rives may hold on a bit longer for roosting habitat. While there are some pockets of birds throughout the state most ducks will likely be headed south late this week or early next. With the cold temps forecasted safety is a necessity. Make sure to wear a PFD and have a plan if things go wrong. As always be safe if you head out. And enjoy the last few days of the the 2025 waterfowl season.
- Central
- Cambridge
Habitat: No report.
Migration: No report.
Weather: No report.
Activity: No report.
- Mille Lacs WMA
Habitat: No report.
Migration: No report.
Weather: No report.
Activity: No report.
- North Metro/Carlos Avery WMA
Habitat: Water levels across the area continue to go down due to lack of precipitation. Water is open again after the temporary freeze. Other habitat conditions in the area remain similar to contions last week.
Migration: The waterfowl numbers in the area are low. After the recent cold snap, lots of birds moved on, but as weather warmed again there hasn't been a new push of birds into the area. The snow, strong winds, and cold weather coming is promising to bring some new birds into the area quickly.
Weather: Warm temps recently have kept all of the available water open for birds. Weather has not been conducive for bringing birds in from the north, however, the sudden change in weather coming with cold temps, strong north winds, and precip should bring an influx of birds into the area.
Activity: Waterfowl hunter effort and success has been fairly low due to the lack of birds in the area and people being focused on chasing deer. Hunters willing to brave the impending weather have a good chance of finding success with new birds in the area.
- Sauk Rapids
Habitat: No report.
Migration: No report.
Weather: No report.
Activity: No report.
- North Central
- Aitkin
Habitat: No report.
Migration: No report.
Weather: No report.
Activity: No report.
- Brainerd
Habitat: No report.
Migration: No report.
Weather: No report.
Activity: No report.
- Grand Rapids
Habitat: No report.
Migration: No report.
Weather: No report.
Activity: No report.
- Park Rapids
Habitat: No report.
Migration: No report.
Weather: No report.
Activity: No report.
- Northeast
- Cloquet
Habitat: No report.
Migration: No report.
Weather: No report.
Activity: No report.
- Tower
Habitat: No report.
Migration: No report.
Weather: No report.
Activity: No report.
- Northwest
- Baudette/Lake of the Woods
Migration: No report.
Weather: No report.
Activity: No report.
- Roseau River WMA
Habitat: No report.
Migration: No report.
Weather: No report.
Activity: No report.
- Thief Lake WMA
Habitat: No report.
Migration: No report.
Weather: No report.
Activity: No report.
- Thief River Falls
Habitat: No report.
Migration: No report.
Weather: No report.
Activity: No report.
- Southeast
- Owatonna
Habitat: Marshes and shallow lakes have remained ice free, but are anticipated to freeze over by Thanksgiving. If the forecast is correct even deep lakes will be frozen soon for the remainder of the waterfowl season.
Migration: Few ducks have been using the area since the early November freeze. Canada geese continue to be found in good numbers along with modest numbers of mallards associated with refuges and areas of safety.
Weather: A warming trend brought sunny skies and seasonably warm temperatures for the 22nd and 23rd. Week day conditions have been cloudy with highs in the 40s and overnight lows generally above freezing. Precipitation has been light with a few showers and drizzle. An approaching cold front is bringing strong winds and rain Tuesday afternoon. Significant snow is predicted for more northerly parts of the area followed by below normal tempertures.
Activity: Waterfowl hunting activity has been light and hunting slow with few reports of success.
- Rochester
Habitat: No report.
Migration: No report.
Weather: No report.
Activity: No report.
- Southwest
- Appleton
Habitat: No report.
Migration: No report.
Weather: No report.
Activity: No report.
- Lac qui Parle WMA
Habitat: No report.
Migration: No report.
Weather: No report.
Activity: No report.
- Marshall
Habitat: No report.
Migration: No report.
Weather: No report.
Activity: No report.
- New London
Habitat: No report.
Migration: No report.
Weather: No report.
Activity: No report.
- New Ulm/Redwood Falls
Habitat: No report.
Migration: No report.
Weather: No report.
Activity: No report.
- Slayton/Talcot Lake
Habitat: No report.
Migration: No report.
Weather: No report.
Activity: No report.
- Swan Lake
Habitat: Water levels are stable from last week. No major changes in habitat going into the last weeks of the south zone season. Docks have been pulled at all lakes in the area ahead of the freeze this weekend. Careful if you are venturing out this weekend with the slick boat launches.
Migration: Not much change from last week in terms of geese moving into the area. We seemed to have picked up some divers into some of the larger lakes within the are but most of the smaller lakes are not showing much in terms of numbers.
Weather: Rain turning to snowfall is expected today through Wednesday, with conditions improving for the holiday. There are more chances of snow this weekend into next week. Smaller lakes will likely be frozen by the weekend with some of the bigger ones potentially staying open into next week.
Activity: Have not had many reports of hunter success in the last week so no update.
- Windom
Habitat: No report.
Migration: No report.
Weather: No report.
Activity: No report.
- West Central
- Detroit Lakes
Habitat: No report.
Migration: No report.
Weather: No report.
Activity: No report.
- Fergus Falls/Lake Christina
Habitat: Even small wetlands have remained open, but that will come to a close shortly after the North Zone closes and likely before the Central Zone closes.
Migration: The bulk of the waterfowl in the area are Canada geese and trumpeter swans. Geese are feeding more in fields with the swans. A few pockets of mallards are around as well as some late season divers, including canvasbacks and hooded mergansers.
Weather: The first winter storm of the season arrived on the last day of the North Zone season. Very cold temperatures are in the forecast for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, and should freeze over the larger lakes before the end of the Central Zone season on Sunday.
Activity: No reports of hunter activity - seems there are too few ducks. Goose hunters have been in the fields, but no reports from them, either.
- Glenwood
Habitat: All the wetlands and lakes remain open as of today 11/25/2025 but this will change starting tonight with rapidly dropping tempters, possible heavy snow amounts, and below 0 by Sunday night and the closing of duck season. I would suspect some of the larger lakes will remain open, possibly providing some goose roosting areas and field hunting opportunities all of crops are harvested with most of the fields black dirt.
Migration: The migration continues to be very disappointing with a few pockets of ""old"" birds or birds on refuges but nothing close to any sort of push.
Weather: Weather continued to be warm and dry until Tuesday night when a winter storm is forecasted bringing our first snow and tempters falling to below or close to zero by Sunday night.
Activity: I did see a few hunters driving around that I suspect had/were field hunting and did run into a group that was hunting the same wetland that I was. The hunters reported some success but a lot of miles scouting were required, I found the same thing with scouting and lack of birds.