J. Clark Salyer NWR
McHenry County, ND
!3 special✕1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🐇🎣
58.9K huntable acres
County guide · North Dakota · ND WPAs
Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in McHenry County, ND
McHenry County has 29 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 5,821 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Mikes Peak WPA at 858 acres; the average tract is about 201 acres, and 10 are smaller than 80 acres.
WPAs here are managed by the J. Clark Salyer Wetland Management District, which sets any district-specific rules (vehicle access, blinds, nontoxic shot, closed areas).
The county covers about 1,909 square miles and has roughly 5,345 residents. WPAs make up about 0.5% of its land area.
29named WPAs
5.8Kacres of WPA land
858largest WPA (ac)
2refuges & districts
Map of WPAs in McHenry 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 McHenry County
| WPA | Acres | Nearest town | GPS | Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mikes Peak WPA 852 deeded ac |
858 | 22 mi E of Minot | 48.22346, -100.82591 |
Map · Directions |
| Eidem-Gustafson WPA | 527 | 33 mi SE of Minot | 47.99055, -100.68754 |
Map · Directions |
| Weber WPA | 481 | 25 mi E of Minot | 48.35053, -100.78154 |
Map · Directions |
| Connia Slough WPA 480 deeded ac |
468 | 35 mi SE of Minot | 47.97316, -100.63893 |
Map · Directions |
| Cottonwood Lake WPA | 441 | 36 mi SE of Minot | 47.91122, -100.67116 |
Map · Directions |
| Spichke WPA | 358 | 40 mi SE of Minot | 47.88763, -100.59585 |
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| Kuntz WPA | 343 | 37 mi SW of Rugby | 47.89995, -100.38404 |
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| Keller WPA | 291 | 17 mi E of Minot | 48.25816, -100.92922 |
Map · Directions |
| Wintering River WPA 210 deeded ac |
198 | 32 mi SE of Minot | 47.93145, -100.77099 |
Map · Directions |
| Martin WPA | 192 | 27 mi SW of Rugby | 48.17070, -100.50175 |
Map · Directions |
| Rieder WPA | 182 | 30 mi SW of Rugby | 47.98771, -100.28078 |
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| Anderson WPA | 163 | 16 mi SW of Rugby | 48.23228, -100.27236 |
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| Freelander WPA | 163 | 31 mi W of Rugby | 48.38035, -100.65730 |
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| Eidmann F. WPA | 150 | 23 mi SW of Rugby | 48.19034, -100.40774 |
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| Heer WPA | 137 | 37 mi S of Rugby | 47.87019, -100.29695 |
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| Lee WPA | 119 | 28 mi E of Minot | 48.19983, -100.68950 |
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| Abel WPA | 112 | 31 mi E of Minot | 48.09958, -100.64579 |
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| Lemer WPA | 99 | 26 mi SW of Rugby | 48.08320, -100.36345 |
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| Denbigh WPA | 96 | 27 mi W of Rugby | 48.32005, -100.56949 |
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| Regstad WPA | 79 | 36 mi SW of Rugby | 48.03498, -100.57475 |
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| Ziech WPA | 70 | 30 mi SE of Minot | 47.95422, -100.79397 |
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| Eidmann C. WPA | 57 | 25 mi SW of Rugby | 48.17257, -100.44977 |
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| Merbach WPA | 57 | 33 mi SW of Rugby | 47.95795, -100.36134 |
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| Knutson WPA | 57 | 32 mi SE of Minot | 47.92302, -100.78981 |
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| Volk WPA | 32 | 19 mi SW of Rugby | 48.17686, -100.29460 |
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| Guthrie WPA | 31 | 29 mi SW of Rugby | 48.02888, -100.36176 |
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| Johnson WPA | 26 | 24 mi SE of Minot | 48.03165, -100.87381 |
Map · Directions |
| Alkali Lake WPA | 17 | 27 mi SW of Rugby | 48.05258, -100.32247 |
Map · Directions |
| Ziegler WPA | 14 | 34 mi SW of Rugby | 47.99222, -100.44951 |
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 McHenry 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 McHenry 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.
- Minot, ND31 mi — county center is E of town
- Rugby, ND32 mi — county center is W of town
- Bottineau, ND45 mi — county center is S of town
- Garrison, ND53 mi — county center is NE of town
Shooting hours in McHenry County
Today at McHenry 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 | 6:28 AM | 6:58 AM | 8:26 PM | 13h 28m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:57 PM | 12h 40m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 7:09 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:24 PM | 11h 44m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 7:30 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:56 PM | 10h 56m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:56 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:25 PM | 9h 59m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 7:18 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:06 PM | 9h 18m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 7:41 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:52 PM | 8h 41m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:56 AM | 8:26 AM | 4:49 PM | 8h 23m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 8:02 AM | 8:32 AM | 4:57 PM | 8h 25m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 7:58 AM | 8:28 AM | 5:13 PM | 8h 45m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 7:41 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:39 PM | 9h 28m |
Computed for 48.195, -100.626 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.
7-day forecast for McHenry 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 McHenry County
Refuge hunt units in McHenry County
| Unit | Refuge | Status | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunting Area 2 | J. Clark Salyer NWR | !Special regs | 30,212 |
| No Hunting Zone | J. Clark Salyer NWR | ✕Closed | 385 |
Neighboring counties with WPAs
- Bottineau County, ND 16 WPAs · 2.6K ac
- McLean County, ND 40 WPAs · 12.4K ac
- Pierce County, ND 50 WPAs · 12.7K ac
- Renville County, ND 4 WPAs · 310 ac
- Sheridan County, ND 45 WPAs · 12.6K ac
- Ward County, ND 34 WPAs · 6.1K ac
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.