Medicine Lake NWR
Sheridan County, MT
!3 special✕1 closed
🦌🦆🐦🕊️🐇🎣
22K huntable acres
County guide · Montana · MT WPAs
Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in Sheridan County, MT
Sheridan County has 38 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 9,958 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Goose Lake WPA at 1,674 acres; the average tract is about 262 acres, and 14 are smaller than 80 acres.
WPAs here are managed by the Northeast Montana Wetland Management District, which sets any district-specific rules (vehicle access, blinds, nontoxic shot, closed areas).
The county covers about 1,685 square miles and has roughly 3,539 residents. WPAs make up about 0.9% of its land area.
38named WPAs
10Kacres of WPA land
1,674largest WPA (ac)
2refuges & districts
Map of WPAs in Sheridan 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 Sheridan County
| WPA | Acres | Nearest town | GPS | Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goose Lake WPA 1,662 deeded ac |
1,674 | 23 mi E of Plentywood | 48.80016, -104.06594 |
Map · Directions |
| Erickson WPA 1,097 deeded ac |
1,160 | 26 mi SE of Plentywood | 48.59112, -104.06305 |
Map · Directions |
| Big Slough WPA 844 deeded ac |
1,006 | 22 mi E of Plentywood | 48.72347, -104.09226 |
Map · Directions |
| Wigeon Slough WPA | 556 | 20 mi NE of Plentywood | 48.97643, -104.24663 |
Map · Directions |
| Parry WPA 567 deeded ac |
553 | 25 mi SE of Plentywood | 48.58497, -104.08574 |
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| Anderson WPA | 531 | 26 mi NE of Plentywood | 48.98738, -104.10012 |
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| Gjesdal West WPA | 401 | 19 mi NE of Plentywood | 48.87840, -104.16818 |
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| Base Camp WPA | 359 | 26 mi NE of Plentywood | 48.97491, -104.07779 |
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| North Root WPA | 323 | 21 mi E of Plentywood | 48.83491, -104.11056 |
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| Rich Johnson WPA | 322 | 15 mi NW of Plentywood | 48.95785, -104.71718 |
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| Salter WPA | 322 | 22 mi SE of Plentywood | 48.57402, -104.17401 |
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| South Root WPA | 319 | 21 mi E of Plentywood | 48.81314, -104.11070 |
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| Rabenberg WPA 320 deeded ac |
314 | 21 mi E of Plentywood | 48.84216, -104.11053 |
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| Long Lake WPA 205 deeded ac |
213 | 24 mi SE of Plentywood | 48.55572, -104.15894 |
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| Redhead Retreat WPA | 207 | 20 mi E of Plentywood | 48.78961, -104.11654 |
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| Jerde WPA | 183 | 21 mi NE of Plentywood | 48.95587, -104.19419 |
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| Rivers WPA | 162 | 18 mi E of Plentywood | 48.79929, -104.17098 |
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| Mallard Pond WPA | 160 | 24 mi SE of Plentywood | 48.57401, -104.13852 |
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| Pintail Marsh WPA | 148 | 18 mi NE of Plentywood | 48.97253, -104.30613 |
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| Gjesdal East WPA | 123 | 25 mi NE of Plentywood | 48.93041, -104.06855 |
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| Westgard WPA | 121 | 24 mi NE of Plentywood | 48.95950, -104.10976 |
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| Rierson WPA | 113 | 17 mi NE of Plentywood | 48.92874, -104.27232 |
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| Ferguson WPA | 105 | 22 mi NE of Plentywood | 48.92732, -104.13049 |
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| Ward WPA | 86 | 23 mi NE of Plentywood | 48.97539, -104.15208 |
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| Carlson WPA | 78 | 20 mi S of Plentywood | 48.48906, -104.49197 |
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| Dog Leg WPA | 71 | 24 mi NE of Plentywood | 48.94404, -104.09885 |
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| Bolke WPA | 55 | 17 mi NE of Plentywood | 48.99221, -104.39725 |
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| Hansen WPA | 55 | 23 mi NE of Plentywood | 48.97084, -104.16212 |
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| Chandler WPA | 46 | 17 mi NE of Plentywood | 48.98178, -104.37336 |
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| Gabrielson WPA | 40 | 24 mi E of Plentywood | 48.89474, -104.07689 |
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| Shoveler Puddle WPA | 30 | 19 mi NE of Plentywood | 48.98488, -104.31252 |
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| Espen WPA | 26 | 20 mi NE of Plentywood | 48.91959, -104.18036 |
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| Valpone WPA | 20 | 17 mi NE of Plentywood | 48.99208, -104.37506 |
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| Melby WPA | 20 | 24 mi E of Plentywood | 48.64101, -104.08237 |
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| Gadwall Haven WPA | 19 | 16 mi NE of Plentywood | 48.97402, -104.39698 |
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| Olson WPA | 18 | 24 mi SE of Plentywood | 48.58381, -104.12361 |
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| Berger Pond WPA | 13 | 23 mi SE of Plentywood | 48.54766, -104.17155 |
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| Muddy Creek WPA | 5.1 | 24 mi S of Plentywood | 48.42057, -104.56297 |
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 Sheridan 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 Sheridan 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.
- Plentywood, MT1.4 mi — county center is NE of town
- Crosby, ND58 mi — county center is W of town
- Williston, ND61 mi — county center is NW of town
- Sidney, MT76 mi — county center is N of town
Shooting hours in Sheridan County
Today at Sheridan 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
| Date | Shooting light | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, Sep 1, 2026 | 5:43 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:43 PM | 13h 30m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:03 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:13 PM | 12h 41m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 6:25 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:39 PM | 11h 44m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:10 PM | 10h 54m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:13 AM | 6:43 AM | 4:40 PM | 9h 57m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 6:36 AM | 7:06 AM | 4:20 PM | 9h 14m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 6:59 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:05 PM | 8h 36m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:14 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:02 PM | 8h 18m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 7:21 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:11 PM | 8h 20m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 7:16 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:27 PM | 8h 41m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 6:59 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:53 PM | 9h 24m |
Computed for 48.789, -104.546 (MDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.
7-day forecast for Sheridan 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 Sheridan County
Refuge hunt units in Sheridan County
| Unit | Refuge | Status | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area 1 | Medicine Lake NWR | !Special regs | 4,033 |
| Area 2 | Medicine Lake NWR | !Special regs | 14,682 |
| Closed Unit | Medicine Lake NWR | ✕Closed | 9,487 |
| WPA Open | Northeast Montana WMD | ✓Open | 12,073 |
Neighboring counties with WPAs
- Daniels County, MT 3 WPAs · 1.1K ac
- Divide County, ND 71 WPAs · 11.6K ac
- Roosevelt County, MT 1 WPAs · 182 ac
- Williams County, ND 14 WPAs · 4.5K ac
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.