National Wildlife Refuge · North Dakota · FWS Region 6

Lake Nettie National Wildlife Refuge Hunting & Fishing Guide 2026–27

Lake Nettie National Wildlife Refuge is located in McLean County, North Dakota, with about 2,424 acres of land owned in fee by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For the 2026–2027 season the refuge has 2 mapped hunt units: 1 open with special regulations and 1 closed, covering about 2,070 huntable acres.

1 with special regs1 closedYouth hunts
View hunt map Directions Official hunting page ↗
2hunt units
2.1Khuntable acres
2.4KFWS-owned acres
4game categories

Lake Nettie NWR hunt unit map

Hunt units are colored by 2026–2027 status. Toggle layers for FWS-owned land, the approved refuge boundary and private easements. Use satellite imagery to scout marshes, timber edges and access points.

Loading interactive map…
OpenSpecial regulationsClosedFWS-owned landWPA (public)Refuge boundaryEasement (private) Tip: switch to Satellite or USGS Topo in the layer menu · click the map for GPS coordinates
Take it into the field: KML (Google Earth / onX) GPX waypoints GeoJSON

Hunting at Lake Nettie NWR

Hunters can pursue big game, wild turkey, upland birds, and small game here, subject to state seasons and refuge-specific rules. Special youth hunting opportunities are offered.

Tall grasses still wave in the breeze at Lake Nettie National Wildlife Refuge, with few trees to break up the view. It might look like open country, but the grassland cover is high enough to hide deer.

Youth hunting

The refuge is open for the state youth deer hunting season.

All refuges with youth hunts →
Big GameWhite-tailed and mule deer, elk, pronghorn, moose, bear and other large mammalsWild TurkeySpring and fall wild turkeyUpland BirdsPheasant, quail, grouse, prairie chicken and partridgeSmall GameSquirrel, rabbit, hare, raccoon, opossum and other small mammals

Categories are those listed by USFWS for this station; exact species, seasons and bag limits follow North Dakota regulations plus refuge-specific rules.

Hunt units (2)

Acreage by status
Special regulations: 2,070 (68%)Closed: 994 (32%)2.1Khuntable acres
  • Special regulations2,070 ac 68%
  • Closed994 ac 32%
Units by size (acres)
Hunt Unit
2,070 ac
Closed
994 ac
UnitStatusAcresPermitDetails
Hunt Unit
Show on map · Directions		 Special regs 2,070 — 🧒 The refuge is open for the state youth deer hunting season.
Closed
Show on map · Directions		 Closed 994 — 🧒 The refuge is open for the state youth deer hunting season.

Lake Nettie NWR by the numbers

With about 2,070 huntable acres, Lake Nettie NWR ranks #24 of 28 refuges and stations with mapped hunting land in North Dakota and #325 of 420 nationwide. Roughly 68% of the acreage inside its mapped hunt units is open to hunting in some form.

The largest huntable unit is Hunt Unit (2,070 acres, special regulations).

1 unit totaling 994 acres is closed to hunting (Closed). Closed areas often serve as sanctuaries — learn their boundaries before you set up nearby.

Besides 2,424 acres of federally owned land, the station administers conservation easements on about 634 acres of private land. Easement land protects habitat but is not open to public hunting.

6 Waterfowl Production Areas lie within 35 miles; the closest is Hass Wda WPA (273 acres, 2 miles NW).

When to hunt Lake Nettie NWR

Typical U.S. season windows for the game categories offered here. North Dakota sets the exact dates, and refuges often open fewer days than the statewide season — use this to plan scouting, then confirm the 2026–2027 dates in the state regulations and the refuge hunt brochure.

Typical season windows — Big Game, Wild Turkey, Upland Birds, Small Game
AugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJun
🦌 Big Game
Archery deerFirearm deer
🦃 Wild Turkey
Spring gobblerFall (some states)
🐦 Upland Birds
Pheasant, quail, grouse
🐇 Small Game
Squirrel & rabbit

Permits & licenses

Refuge permit

Not listed

USFWS does not list a separate refuge permit for this station. Specific units or hunts (e.g. quota deer hunts) may still require one — check the hunt brochure.

You'll also need

  • A valid North Dakota hunting license and any required tags or stamps — North Dakota Game and Fish Department
  • Hunter education certification where your state requires it
  • The current refuge hunt brochure / regulations (often must be signed and carried)

Fishing at Lake Nettie NWR

USFWS does not list fishing opportunities for Lake Nettie NWR.

How to get to Lake Nettie NWR

Navigate

Destination: Lake Nettie National Wildlife Refuge (FWS reference point)

Google Maps Apple Maps Waze
Decimal
47.61077, -100.99314
DMS
47°36′38.8″N 100°59′35.3″W

Download for GPS / onX / Google Earth:KMLGPX

Nearest towns

  • Garrison, ND20 mi E of town
  • Minot, ND45 mi S of town
  • Bismarck, ND56 mi N of town
  • Rugby, ND70 mi SW of town

Closest airports

  • MOT Minot Intl47 mi
  • BIS Bismarck Municipal59 mi

Straight-line distances. Driving routes are longer; many refuge roads are gravel and may close seasonally.

The navigation point is the station reference location published by USFWS — often the headquarters or main entrance. For a specific hunt unit, open its page or click it on the map for coordinates and parking planning.

Sunrise, sunset & shooting hours

Today at Lake Nettie NWR

Legal light*–
Sunrise–
Sunset–

*½ hour before sunrise — the standard federal shooting-hour start for migratory game birds. Times in Chicago local time.

Full season calculator →

2026–2027 season sun table

DateShooting lightSunriseSunsetDaylight
Tue, Sep 1, 20266:31 AM7:01 AM8:27 PM13h 26m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:49 AM7:19 AM7:58 PM12h 39m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:11 AM7:41 AM7:25 PM11h 45m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:30 AM8:00 AM6:58 PM10h 57m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:56 AM7:26 AM5:28 PM10h 02m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:18 AM7:48 AM5:09 PM9h 21m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:40 AM8:10 AM4:55 PM8h 45m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:55 AM8:25 AM4:52 PM8h 28m
Fri, Jan 1, 20278:02 AM8:32 AM5:01 PM8h 30m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:57 AM8:27 AM5:17 PM8h 50m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:41 AM8:11 AM5:42 PM9h 31m

Computed for 47.611, -100.993 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day hunting weather

Loading National Weather Service forecast…

Forecast from the National Weather Service. Wind direction matters — plan your approach downwind of where game beds.

Guides for hunting Lake Nettie NWR

Deer Hunting on National Wildlife Refuges: Quota Hunts, Archery Units and Stand Rules

How refuge deer hunts work — lotteries and quota permits, archery-only and muzzleloader units, tree-stand rules…

Turkey Hunting on Wildlife Refuges: Lotteries, Pressured Birds and Safety

How spring and fall turkey hunts work on National Wildlife Refuges, how to scout and call public-land gobblers, and…

Pheasant and Upland Bird Hunting on Waterfowl Production Areas

Why WPAs are some of the best walk-in pheasant ground in the Midwest, how to hunt them early and late in the season…

Your First Public-Land Hunt: A Step-by-Step Checklist for New Hunters

Hunter education, licenses, choosing a first species, gear, practice, scouting with maps and what to expect on your…

How to Read a Refuge Hunt Brochure (and Not Miss the Rule That Matters)

What's inside a National Wildlife Refuge hunt brochure, where to find it, how it relates to 50 CFR Part 32 and state…

Hunting Safety on Public Land: Cold Water, Tree Stands, Crowds and Weather

The safety habits that matter most on refuges and WPAs — firearm rules, blaze orange, tree-stand harnesses, cold-water…

Lake Nettie NWR FAQ

Is hunting allowed at Lake Nettie NWR?

Yes. Lake Nettie National Wildlife Refuge offers hunting in 1 unit (2,070 acres) during 2026–2027 for big game, wild turkey, upland birds, and small game. Seasons follow state regulations plus refuge-specific rules in 50 CFR Part 32.

Do I need a permit to hunt Lake Nettie NWR?

FWS data does not list a separate refuge hunting permit for Lake Nettie NWR. You still need a valid state license, any required state tags or stamps, and (for waterfowl hunters 16+) a Federal Duck Stamp.

Where is Lake Nettie NWR located?

Lake Nettie National Wildlife Refuge is in McLean County, North Dakota, about 20 miles E of Garrison, ND (straight-line). GPS: 47.61077, -100.99314.

What are legal shooting hours at Lake Nettie NWR?

Migratory game bird shooting hours are generally one-half hour before sunrise to sunset; big game and other seasons follow state rules. See the sunrise/sunset table on this page and confirm in the refuge hunt brochure.

Nearby refuges & public land

Audubon NWR

McLean County, ND · 8.3 mi W

1 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇🎣

3.2K huntable acres

Audubon WMD

McLean County, ND · 12 mi W

1 open1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

26.2K huntable acres

Florence Lake NWR

Burleigh County, ND · 38 mi SE

1 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇

1.6K huntable acres

Mclean NWR

McLean County, ND · 47 mi W

1 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇

342 huntable acres

Shell Lake NWR

Mountrail County, ND · 65 mi NW

1 closed
No hunting listed

J. Clark Salyer NWR

McHenry County, ND · 69 mi N

3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🐇🎣

58.9K huntable acres

Waterfowl Production Areas within 35 miles

All refuges in North Dakota →

Data: USFWS National Hunt Units 2026–2027, Hunting & Fishing Opportunities, Realty Boundaries & Tracts. Page updated October 28, 2026.