Minnesota is part of the Mississippi Flyway, one of four major migratory bird corridors in North America. The 2025–2026 waterfowl season runs from September 6 through January 7, 2026, with 34 distinct season segments covering ducks, geese, coots, and other migratory game birds. Season dates and bag limits are set annually by the Department of Natural Resources within frameworks established by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Zone1,2 | Sep 27 – Nov 25 Regular Season | 6 | 18 |
| Central Zone1,3,4 | Sep 27 – Oct 5 First Split | 6 | 18 |
| Oct 11 – Nov 30 Second Split | |||
| South Zone1,5,6 | Sep 27 – Oct 5 First Split | 6 | 18 |
| Oct 18 – Dec 7 Second Split |
| Species | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|
| Mottled Duck Dusky duck aggregate with black duck | 1 | 3 |
| Redhead | 2 | 6 |
| Black Duck | 2 | 6 |
| Mallard either · Max 2 hens per day | 4 | 12 |
| Canvasback | 2 | 6 |
| Wood Duck | 3 | 9 |
| Greater Scaup Aggregate scaup combined; may reduce to 1 in last 15 days | 2 | 6 |
| Pintail (Northern) | 3 | 9 |
| Lesser Scaup Aggregate scaup combined; may reduce to 1 in last 15 days | 2 | 6 |
1Non-toxic shot · Plugged shotgun · No electronic calls · Spinning-wing decoys allowed · Decoys max 2 hrs before shooting on public land · Three zones: North, Central, South
2North Zone - 60-day continuous
3Central Zone split 1
4Central Zone split 2
5South Zone split 1
6South Zone split 2
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Zone1,2 | Sep 6 – Sep 10 Early Teal | 6 | 18 |
| Central Zone1,3 | Sep 6 – Sep 10 Early Teal | 6 | 18 |
| South Zone1,4 | Sep 6 – Sep 10 Early Teal | 6 | 18 |
1Shooting hours sunrise to sunset only (no pre-sunrise) · Do not hunt on tribal wild rice beds (Mille Lacs, Leech Lake, White Earth) · Non-toxic shot
2North Zone early teal
3Central Zone early teal
4South Zone early teal
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Zone1,2,3 | Sep 6 – Sep 21 Early Goose | 5 | 15 |
| Sep 27 – Dec 26 Second Split | |||
| Central Zone1,4,5,6 | Sep 6 – Sep 21 Early Goose | 5 | 15 |
| Sep 27 – Oct 5 Second Split | |||
| Oct 11 – Dec 31 Third Split | |||
| South Zone1,7,8,9 | Sep 6 – Sep 21 Early Goose | 5 | 15 |
| Sep 27 – Oct 5 Second Split | |||
| Oct 18 – Jan 7 Third Split |
1Early season: 5-bird combined limit (Canada, white-fronted, brant) · No early goose permit required (2025) · Non-toxic shot · Plugged shotgun · No electronic calls
2Early Canada goose statewide - North Zone
3North Zone regular dark geese
4Early Canada goose statewide - Central Zone
5Central Zone regular dark geese split 1
6Central Zone regular dark geese split 2
7Early Canada goose statewide - South Zone
8South Zone regular dark geese split 1
9South Zone regular dark geese split 2
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Zone1,2 | Sep 27 – Dec 26 Regular Season | 20 | 60 |
| Central Zone1,3,4 | Sep 27 – Oct 5 First Split | 20 | 60 |
| Oct 11 – Dec 31 Second Split | |||
| South Zone1,5,6 | Sep 27 – Oct 5 First Split | 20 | 60 |
| Oct 18 – Jan 7 Second Split |
1Conservation Order (Feb 18-Apr 30) · Free permit ($2.50 fee) · No bag/possession limit · Electronic calls & unplugged shotguns allowed · Non-toxic shot · No other stamps needed
2North Zone light geese
3Central Zone light geese split 1
4Central Zone light geese split 2
5South Zone light geese split 1
6South Zone light geese split 2
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Zone1,2 | Sep 27 – Nov 25 Regular Season | 15 | 45 |
| Central Zone1,3,4 | Sep 27 – Oct 5 First Split | 15 | 45 |
| Oct 11 – Nov 30 Second Split | |||
| South Zone1,5,6 | Sep 27 – Oct 5 First Split | 15 | 45 |
| Oct 18 – Dec 7 Second Split |
1Non-toxic shot required for moorhens · Same zone seasons as ducks · Plugged shotgun · No electronic calls
2North Zone coots
3Central Zone coots split 1
4Central Zone coots split 2
5South Zone coots split 1
6South Zone coots split 2
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Zone1,2 | Sep 27 – Nov 25 Regular Season | 5 | 15 |
| Central Zone1,2 | Sep 27 – Oct 5 First Split | 5 | 15 |
| Oct 11 – Nov 30 Second Split | |||
| South Zone1,2 | Sep 27 – Oct 5 First Split | 5 | 15 |
| Oct 18 – Dec 7 Second Split |
1Max 2 hooded mergansers/day · Same as duck zones · Non-toxic shot · Plugged shotgun · No electronic calls · Spinning-wing decoys allowed
2Max 2 hooded mergansers per day. Concurrent with duck season.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Zone1,2 | Sep 13 – Sep 14 Youth Waterfowl Weekend | 6 | 18 |
| Central Zone1,3 | Sep 13 – Sep 14 Youth Waterfowl Weekend | 6 | 18 |
| South Zone1,4 | Sep 13 – Sep 14 Youth Waterfowl Weekend | 6 | 18 |
1Age 17 & under with non-hunting adult · All license/stamp requirements waived
2North Zone youth waterfowl weekend
3Central Zone youth waterfowl weekend
4South Zone youth waterfowl weekend
Season dates and bag limits are verified against official state wildlife agency publications and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Data shown is for the 2025-2026 season. This data was verified on March 9, 2026. Always confirm with your state's official regulations before hunting.