County guide · Montana · MT WPAs

Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in Cascade County, MT

Cascade County has 2 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 749 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Schrammeck Lake WPA at 429 acres; the average tract is about 375 acres.

WPAs here are managed by the Benton Lake Wetland Management District, which sets any district-specific rules (vehicle access, blinds, nontoxic shot, closed areas).

The county covers about 2,714 square miles and has roughly 84,414 residents. WPAs make up about 0.0% of its land area.

County mapAll 2 WPAsDownload KML
2named WPAs
749acres of WPA land
429largest WPA (ac)
2refuges & districts

Map of WPAs in Cascade 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
Take every tract with you:KML (Google Earth / onX)GPX waypoints

All Waterfowl Production Areas in Cascade County

Largest WPAs (acres)
Schrammeck Lake WPA
429 ac
Hartelius WPA
320 ac
WPAAcresNearest townGPSGo
Schrammeck Lake WPA
420 deeded ac		 429 21 mi SW of Great Falls 47.23890, -111.53332 Map · Directions
Hartelius WPA
307 deeded ac		 320 14 mi NW of Great Falls 47.63556, -111.51709 Map · Directions

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 Cascade County: rules & tips

Typically allowed

  • Hunting waterfowl, upland birds, deer and other game in season under Montana 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 Cascade 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.

  • Great Falls, MT16 mi — county center is S of town
  • Helena, MT56 mi — county center is NE of town
  • Lewistown, MT95 mi — county center is W of town
  • Butte, MT103 mi — county center is NE of town

Shooting hours in Cascade County

Today at Cascade County

Legal light*–
Sunrise–
Sunset–

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

Full season calculator →

2026–2027 season sun table

DateShooting lightSunriseSunsetDaylight
Tue, Sep 1, 20266:13 AM6:43 AM8:08 PM13h 25m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:31 AM7:01 AM7:40 PM12h 39m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:52 AM7:22 AM7:07 PM11h 45m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:12 AM7:42 AM6:40 PM10h 58m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:37 AM7:07 AM5:10 PM10h 03m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:58 AM7:28 AM4:52 PM9h 23m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:21 AM7:51 AM4:38 PM8h 48m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:35 AM8:05 AM4:36 PM8h 31m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:42 AM8:12 AM4:44 PM8h 32m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:38 AM8:08 AM5:00 PM8h 52m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:22 AM7:52 AM5:25 PM9h 33m

Computed for 47.279, -111.419 (MDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day forecast for Cascade 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 Cascade County

Benton Lake NWR

Cascade County, MT

4 special6 closed
🦆🐦🎣

5K huntable acres

Benton Lake WMD

Cascade County, MT

2 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

12.8K huntable acres

Refuge hunt units in Cascade County

UnitRefugeStatusAcres
IVcBenton Lake NWRSpecial regs1,565
VBenton Lake NWRSpecial regs1,597
VIBenton Lake NWRSpecial regs1,716
ClosedBenton Lake NWRClosed4,510
IBenton Lake NWRClosed353
IIBenton Lake NWRClosed564
IIIBenton Lake NWRClosed1,150
IVaBenton Lake NWRClosed370
IVbBenton Lake NWRClosed368
WPA OpenBenton Lake WMDOpen2,176

Neighboring counties with WPAs

Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.