Devils Lake WMD
Ramsey County, ND
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52.7K huntable acres
County guide · North Dakota · ND WPAs
Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in Benson County, ND
Benson County has 60 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 9,192 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Hofstrand WPA at 1,045 acres; the average tract is about 153 acres, and 26 are smaller than 80 acres.
WPAs here are managed by the Devils Lake Wetland Management District, which sets any district-specific rules (vehicle access, blinds, nontoxic shot, closed areas).
The county covers about 1,455 square miles and has roughly 5,964 residents. WPAs make up about 1.0% of its land area.
60named WPAs
9.2Kacres of WPA land
1,045largest WPA (ac)
2refuges & districts
Map of WPAs in Benson 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 Benson County
| WPA | Acres | Nearest town | GPS | Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hofstrand WPA | 1,045 | 26 mi SE of Rugby | 48.22019, -99.46478 |
Map · Directions |
| Mud Lake WPA | 837 | 22 mi SE of Rugby | 48.22402, -99.57287 |
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| Twin Lakes WPA | 639 | 19 mi SE of Rugby | 48.23951, -99.61927 |
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| Wurgler WPA | 516 | 16 mi E of Rugby | 48.31473, -99.66125 |
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| Lone Tree WPA | 357 | 15 mi SW of Devils Lake | 47.91079, -99.02284 |
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| Deep Valley WPA | 297 | 24 mi SE of Rugby | 48.11561, -99.62641 |
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| Rice WPA | 297 | 29 mi W of Devils Lake | 48.05197, -99.48892 |
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| Plummer WPA | 289 | 19 mi SW of Devils Lake | 47.97965, -99.23574 |
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| Calvin WPA | 257 | 7.7 mi S of Devils Lake | 48.00149, -98.83109 |
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| Peterson WPA | 243 | 16 mi SE of Rugby | 48.22792, -99.72883 |
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| Weed WPA 233 deeded ac |
241 | 17 mi W of Devils Lake | 48.12633, -99.23783 |
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| Melass WPA | 241 | 28 mi W of Devils Lake | 48.03382, -99.46456 |
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| Mission Slough WPA 203 deeded ac |
193 | 6.7 mi S of Devils Lake | 48.01627, -98.83278 |
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| Fish Lake WPA | 178 | 26 mi SE of Rugby | 48.11792, -99.57870 |
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| Volk WPA | 177 | 16 mi SE of Rugby | 48.25138, -99.69385 |
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| Knox WPA | 161 | 14 mi E of Rugby | 48.30036, -99.70196 |
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| Neer WPA | 161 | 26 mi SW of Devils Lake | 47.89388, -99.33486 |
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| Rolling Rock WPA | 159 | 22 mi W of Devils Lake | 48.03920, -99.32402 |
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| Comstock WPA | 159 | 25 mi W of Devils Lake | 48.14768, -99.39909 |
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| Shively WPA | 159 | 9.1 mi SE of Rugby | 48.30391, -99.81843 |
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| Lake Seventeen WPA 151 deeded ac |
158 | 31 mi SE of Rugby | 47.98718, -99.64627 |
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| Lake Legreid WPA | 152 | 34 mi SE of Rugby | 47.93213, -99.64239 |
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| Tweten WPA | 130 | 25 mi SW of Devils Lake | 47.90114, -99.32276 |
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| Simon WPA | 120 | 17 mi SE of Rugby | 48.17182, -99.78041 |
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| Black Slough WPA | 119 | 22 mi SE of Devils Lake | 47.85652, -98.57879 |
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| Carr WPA | 119 | 15 mi SE of Rugby | 48.28767, -99.69924 |
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| Minnewaukan WPA 80 deeded ac |
108 | 25 mi W of Devils Lake | 48.00976, -99.39086 |
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| Brown WPA 90 deeded ac |
103 | 13 mi S of Devils Lake | 47.93627, -98.97658 |
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| Pleasant Lake WPA | 103 | 8.4 mi E of Rugby | 48.34045, -99.81240 |
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| Strand WPA | 96 | 24 mi SE of Rugby | 48.23470, -99.51011 |
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| Wood WPA | 95 | 15 mi SE of Devils Lake | 47.93093, -98.68291 |
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| Fox WPA | 81 | 27 mi NW of Devils Lake | 48.32710, -99.36762 |
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| Alkali Slough WPA | 80 | 16 mi SE of Rugby | 48.19722, -99.74518 |
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| Trimmer WPA | 80 | 25 mi SW of Devils Lake | 47.96625, -99.37005 |
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| Pfua WPA | 80 | 28 mi SE of Rugby | 48.11176, -99.51051 |
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| Olson WPA | 79 | 14 mi SE of Rugby | 48.25692, -99.73705 |
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| Benson WPA | 78 | 33 mi SE of Rugby | 47.95928, -99.62184 |
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| Red Tail WPA | 77 | 15 mi SW of Devils Lake | 47.96540, -99.11980 |
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| Repens WPA | 73 | 27 mi W of Devils Lake | 48.15320, -99.45658 |
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| Mattson WPA | 61 | 36 mi SE of Rugby | 47.89957, -99.67910 |
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| Lallie Marsh WPA | 59 | 16 mi W of Devils Lake | 48.02417, -99.18157 |
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| Long Lake WPA 45 deeded ac |
58 | 12 mi SE of Rugby | 48.25443, -99.78506 |
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| Severinson WPA | 54 | 18 mi SW of Devils Lake | 47.99489, -99.22312 |
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| Senger WPA | 40 | 13 mi S of Devils Lake | 47.91841, -98.88585 |
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| Rendahl WPA | 40 | 15 mi SE of Rugby | 48.17891, -99.82375 |
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| Esmond WPA | 40 | 23 mi SE of Rugby | 48.08127, -99.73735 |
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| Ida WPA | 39 | 14 mi SE of Rugby | 48.28037, -99.72059 |
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| Slater WPA | 37 | 26 mi W of Devils Lake | 48.19327, -99.41345 |
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| Broe Marsh WPA | 29 | 20 mi SE of Rugby | 48.16766, -99.66963 |
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| Bakken WPA | 27 | 9.6 mi SE of Rugby | 48.26980, -99.84603 |
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| Pfiefer WPA | 26 | 9.4 mi SE of Rugby | 48.29395, -99.81964 |
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| Leeds Lagoon WPA | 24 | 26 mi E of Rugby | 48.28362, -99.42981 |
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| Jorgenson WPA 36 deeded ac |
22 | 10 mi SE of Rugby | 48.28802, -99.80111 |
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| Cranberry Lake WPA | 21 | 20 mi SE of Rugby | 48.12768, -99.76364 |
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| Moen WPA | 20 | 14 mi SW of Devils Lake | 47.96282, -99.09006 |
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| Iowa Lake WPA | 16 | 14 mi SE of Rugby | 48.21836, -99.80350 |
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| Gomer Trout WPA | 14 | 17 mi E of Rugby | 48.32651, -99.62959 |
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| Round Lake WPA | 12 | 16 mi SE of Rugby | 48.23245, -99.71724 |
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| Leeds WPA | 11 | 24 mi E of Rugby | 48.29707, -99.49021 |
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| Lacher Lake WPA | 4.2 | 11 mi SE of Rugby | 48.25136, -99.82558 |
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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 Benson County: rules & tips
Typically allowed
- Hunting waterfowl, upland birds, deer and other game in season under North Dakota 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 Benson 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.
- Devils Lake, ND29 mi — county center is W of town
- Rugby, ND29 mi — county center is SE of town
- Carrington, ND49 mi — county center is N of town
- Bottineau, ND66 mi — county center is SE of town
Shooting hours in Benson County
Today at Benson 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 | 6:24 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:22 PM | 13h 28m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:43 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:53 PM | 12h 40m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 7:05 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:19 PM | 11h 44m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 7:25 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:51 PM | 10h 56m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:21 PM | 9h 60m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 7:13 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:01 PM | 9h 18m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 7:36 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:47 PM | 8h 41m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:51 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:44 PM | 8h 24m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 7:58 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:53 PM | 8h 25m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 7:53 AM | 8:23 AM | 5:09 PM | 8h 46m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 7:37 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:35 PM | 9h 28m |
Computed for 48.121, -99.490 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.
7-day forecast for Benson 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 Benson County
Refuge hunt units in Benson County
| Unit | Refuge | Status | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Station | White Horse Hill National Game Preserve | ✕Closed | 947 |
Neighboring counties with WPAs
- Eddy County, ND 20 WPAs · 4.8K ac
- Nelson County, ND 24 WPAs · 3.3K ac
- Pierce County, ND 50 WPAs · 12.7K ac
- Ramsey County, ND 42 WPAs · 9.6K ac
- Towner County, ND 26 WPAs · 7.4K ac
- Wells County, ND 39 WPAs · 11.1K ac
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.