County guide · Montana · MT WPAs

Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in Golden Valley County, MT

Golden Valley County has 1 named Waterfowl Production Area covering 775 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land.

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

The county covers about 1,176 square miles and has roughly 823 residents. WPAs make up about 0.1% of its land area.

County mapAll 1 WPAsDownload KML
1named WPAs
775acres of WPA land
775largest WPA (ac)
1refuges & districts

Map of WPAs in Golden Valley 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 Golden Valley County

WPAAcresNearest townGPSGo
Spidel WPA
760 deeded ac		 775 30 mi NW of Billings 46.13973, -108.85273 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 Golden Valley 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 Golden Valley 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.

  • Lewistown, MT47 mi — county center is S of town
  • Billings, MT53 mi — county center is NW of town
  • Bozeman, MT104 mi — county center is NE of town
  • Jordan, MT122 mi — county center is SW of town

Shooting hours in Golden Valley County

Today at Golden Valley 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, 20266:05 AM6:35 AM7:58 PM13h 23m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:22 AM6:52 AM7:30 PM12h 38m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:43 AM7:13 AM6:58 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:02 AM7:32 AM6:32 PM11h 00m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:26 AM6:56 AM5:03 PM10h 07m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:47 AM7:17 AM4:45 PM9h 28m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:08 AM7:38 AM4:32 PM8h 54m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:22 AM7:52 AM4:30 PM8h 37m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:29 AM7:59 AM4:39 PM8h 39m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:26 AM7:56 AM4:54 PM8h 58m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:10 AM7:40 AM5:18 PM9h 38m

Computed for 46.409, -109.133 (MDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day forecast for Golden Valley 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 Golden Valley County

Charles M. Russell WMD

Fergus County, MT

1 open1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

6.6K huntable acres

Neighboring counties with WPAs

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