County guide · Montana · MT WPAs

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

Pondera County has 1 named Waterfowl Production Area covering 661 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land.

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 1,638 square miles and has roughly 5,898 residents. WPAs make up about 0.1% of its land area.

County mapAll 1 WPAsDownload KML
1named WPAs
661acres of WPA land
661largest WPA (ac)
1refuges & districts

Map of WPAs in Pondera 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 Pondera County

WPAAcresNearest townGPSGo
Jarina WPA
640 deeded ac		 661 70 mi E of Kalispell 48.17474, -112.79660 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 Pondera 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 Pondera 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, MT74 mi — county center is NW of town
  • Kalispell, MT85 mi — county center is E of town
  • Helena, MT115 mi — county center is N of town
  • Missoula, MT118 mi — county center is NE of town

Shooting hours in Pondera County

Today at Pondera 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, 20266:16 AM6:46 AM8:14 PM13h 28m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:35 AM7:05 AM7:45 PM12h 40m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:57 AM7:27 AM7:11 PM11h 44m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:17 AM7:47 AM6:43 PM10h 56m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:43 AM7:13 AM5:13 PM9h 59m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:06 AM7:36 AM4:53 PM9h 17m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:28 AM7:58 AM4:39 PM8h 40m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:43 AM8:13 AM4:36 PM8h 23m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:50 AM8:20 AM4:45 PM8h 25m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:45 AM8:15 AM5:01 PM8h 45m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:29 AM7:59 AM5:26 PM9h 27m

Computed for 48.234, -112.460 (MDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day forecast for Pondera County

Loading National Weather Service forecast…

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

Refuges & districts with land in Pondera County

Benton Lake WMD

Cascade County, MT

2 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

12.8K huntable acres

Neighboring counties with WPAs

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