Detroit Lakes WMD
Becker County, MN
!1 special✕1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣
50.2K huntable acres
County guide · Minnesota · MN WPAs
Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in Polk County, MN
Polk County has 40 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 13,420 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Winger WPA at 1,758 acres; the average tract is about 336 acres, and 5 are smaller than 80 acres.
WPAs here are managed by the Detroit Lakes Wetland Management District, which sets any district-specific rules (vehicle access, blinds, nontoxic shot, closed areas).
The county covers about 1,999 square miles and has roughly 31,192 residents. WPAs make up about 1.0% of its land area.
40named WPAs
13.4Kacres of WPA land
1,758largest WPA (ac)
3refuges & districts
Map of WPAs in Polk County
Gold outlines are fee-title Waterfowl Production Areas — federally owned public land. Land outside them is almost always private. Switch to satellite to check water conditions and cover, and click any tract for coordinates.
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Waterfowl Production Area (public)County lineRefuge / station
Tip: switch to Satellite or USGS Topo in the layer menu · click the map for GPS coordinates
All Waterfowl Production Areas in Polk County
| WPA | Acres | Nearest town | GPS | Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winger WPA | 1,758 | 38 mi S of Thief River Falls | 47.58604, -95.95557 |
Map · Directions |
| Erskine Complex WPA | 1,348 | 32 mi S of Thief River Falls | 47.65979, -96.05782 |
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| Melvin Slough WPA 1,224 deeded ac |
1,212 | 36 mi SE of Grand Forks | 47.62893, -96.41012 |
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| Clarke WPA | 868 | 29 mi S of Thief River Falls | 47.72782, -95.95323 |
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| Hill River WPA | 630 | 35 mi SE of Thief River Falls | 47.66698, -95.84142 |
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| Jenkins WPA | 598 | 38 mi W of Bemidji | 47.53516, -95.69318 |
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| Vesledahl WPA | 571 | 41 mi S of Thief River Falls | 47.53539, -96.07291 |
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| Gustafson WPA | 447 | 34 mi W of Bemidji | 47.62055, -95.58514 |
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| Hagen WPA 375 deeded ac |
383 | 35 mi W of Bemidji | 47.58989, -95.60725 |
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| Salvhus WPA 371 deeded ac |
380 | 36 mi SE of Thief River Falls | 47.66707, -95.78826 |
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| Maple Lake WPA | 357 | 32 mi S of Thief River Falls | 47.65265, -96.20309 |
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| Beito WPA | 323 | 30 mi SE of Thief River Falls | 47.73001, -95.89412 |
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| Smith WPA | 322 | 38 mi W of Bemidji | 47.51398, -95.69581 |
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| Woodside WPA | 315 | 35 mi S of Thief River Falls | 47.62158, -96.12035 |
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| Union Lake WPA 310 deeded ac |
298 | 37 mi S of Thief River Falls | 47.58239, -96.10998 |
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| Sollie Enterprises WPA | 297 | 38 mi W of Bemidji | 47.56533, -95.69286 |
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| Maltrod Lake WPA | 295 | 38 mi S of Thief River Falls | 47.56873, -96.07841 |
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| Jacobson WPA 249 deeded ac |
244 | 35 mi S of Thief River Falls | 47.60848, -96.16952 |
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| Lengby WPA | 233 | 36 mi W of Bemidji | 47.53308, -95.65410 |
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| Aasen WPA | 200 | 38 mi S of Thief River Falls | 47.58130, -96.03404 |
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| Moren WPA | 191 | 32 mi S of Thief River Falls | 47.66262, -96.18952 |
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| Turtle Lake WPA | 169 | 38 mi W of Bemidji | 47.60055, -95.67777 |
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| Espeseth WPA | 163 | 37 mi S of Thief River Falls | 47.61873, -95.90257 |
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| Halverson WPA | 163 | 37 mi SE of Thief River Falls | 47.63341, -95.84885 |
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| Vaa WPA | 161 | 36 mi SE of Thief River Falls | 47.65527, -95.81667 |
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| Lepier WPA | 160 | 42 mi SE of Thief River Falls | 47.57575, -95.79576 |
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| Haslie Lake WPA | 160 | 39 mi W of Bemidji | 47.58241, -95.68866 |
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| Hanson WPA | 158 | 32 mi S of Thief River Falls | 47.68401, -95.92849 |
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| Sand Hill Lake WPA 146 deeded ac |
152 | 39 mi W of Bemidji | 47.51879, -95.71962 |
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| Opgrand WPA | 122 | 45 mi S of Thief River Falls | 47.50845, -95.87728 |
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| Foot Lake WPA | 120 | 36 mi S of Thief River Falls | 47.61689, -95.96949 |
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| Cable Lake WPA | 119 | 30 mi S of Thief River Falls | 47.68152, -96.17228 |
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| Poplar River WPA | 97 | 29 mi S of Thief River Falls | 47.72342, -96.00573 |
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| The Nature Conservancy WPA | 88 | 31 mi S of Thief River Falls | 47.67599, -96.20989 |
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| Underdahl WPA | 80 | 35 mi S of Thief River Falls | 47.61638, -96.08337 |
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| Hendrickson Lake WPA | 79 | 38 mi SE of Thief River Falls | 47.64918, -95.76124 |
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| Rydell WPA | 53 | 31 mi S of Thief River Falls | 47.67073, -96.10241 |
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| Farrell WPA | 39 | 30 mi S of Thief River Falls | 47.68502, -96.18154 |
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| McIntosh WPA | 36 | 36 mi S of Thief River Falls | 47.63103, -95.89450 |
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| Ness WPA | 33 | 39 mi S of Thief River Falls | 47.55998, -96.18646 |
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Acreage from USFWS realty GIS polygons. Coordinates are a point inside each tract — not necessarily a parking area. Look for designated parking and boundary signs on the ground.
Hunting WPAs in Polk County: rules & tips
Typically allowed
- Hunting waterfowl, upland birds, deer and other game in season under Minnesota regulations
- Walk-in access from roads and designated parking areas
- Fishing and trapping where state and district rules allow
- Wildlife watching, photography and dog training outside restricted periods
Common restrictions
- No camping, fires or overnight use on most tracts
- Motor vehicles only on designated roads and parking areas
- Blinds and portable stands usually removed at the end of each day
- Nontoxic shot required for waterfowl; many districts require it for all shotgun hunting
- Some tracts have closed areas, refuge-style rules or seasonal restrictions
Getting to Polk County
Distances below are straight-line from the center of the county. Most WPAs are reached by county and township gravel roads — download the GPX file and load it into your phone or GPS before you lose cell coverage.
- Grand Forks, ND18 mi — county center is E of town
- Thief River Falls, MN30 mi — county center is SW of town
- Fargo, ND66 mi — county center is N of town
- Moorhead, MN67 mi — county center is N of town
Shooting hours in Polk County
Today at Polk County
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
| Date | Shooting light | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, Sep 1, 2026 | 6:13 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:10 PM | 13h 27m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:32 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:41 PM | 12h 40m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:08 PM | 11h 45m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 7:13 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:40 PM | 10h 57m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:39 AM | 7:09 AM | 5:10 PM | 10h 01m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 7:01 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:51 PM | 9h 20m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 7:24 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:37 PM | 8h 43m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:38 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:34 PM | 8h 26m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 7:45 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:43 PM | 8h 28m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 7:41 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:59 PM | 8h 48m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 7:24 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:24 PM | 9h 30m |
Computed for 47.837, -96.669 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.
7-day forecast for Polk County
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Forecast from the National Weather Service. Wind direction matters — plan your approach downwind of where game beds.
Refuges & districts with land in Polk County
Refuge hunt units in Polk County
| Unit | Refuge | Status | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Glacial Ridge NWR | !Special regs | 12,960 |
| B | Glacial Ridge NWR | !Special regs | 4,445 |
| Closed | Glacial Ridge NWR | ✕Closed | 5,846 |
| Unit A | Rydell NWR | !Special regs | 1,378 |
| Unit B | Rydell NWR | !Special regs | 458 |
| Closed | Rydell NWR | ✕Closed | 203 |
Neighboring counties with WPAs
- Grand Forks County, ND 15 WPAs · 7.2K ac
- Mahnomen County, MN 25 WPAs · 7.2K ac
- Marshall County, MN 1 WPAs · 527 ac
- Norman County, MN 5 WPAs · 1.6K ac
- Traill County, ND 4 WPAs · 716 ac
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.