J. Clark Salyer WMD
McHenry County, ND
✓1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣
34K huntable acres
County guide · North Dakota · ND WPAs
Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in Rolette County, ND
Rolette County has 28 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 6,030 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is LaFromboise WPA at 959 acres; the average tract is about 215 acres, and 12 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 937 square miles and has roughly 12,187 residents. WPAs make up about 1.0% of its land area.
28named WPAs
6Kacres of WPA land
959largest WPA (ac)
1refuges & districts
Map of WPAs in Rolette 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 Rolette County
| WPA | Acres | Nearest town | GPS | Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaFromboise WPA | 959 | 32 mi N of Rugby | 48.80186, -99.74496 |
Map · Directions |
| Baxstrom WPA 771 deeded ac |
839 | 22 mi E of Bottineau | 48.89968, -99.98743 |
Map · Directions |
| Ghost Valley WPA 599 deeded ac |
609 | 13 mi N of Rugby | 48.54863, -99.90467 |
Map · Directions |
| Carlisle Lake WPA 444 deeded ac |
455 | 21 mi E of Bottineau | 48.88157, -100.00193 |
Map · Directions |
| Twin Lake WPA 427 deeded ac |
435 | 23 mi N of Rugby | 48.70445, -99.90903 |
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| Armstrong WPA 305 deeded ac |
298 | 23 mi NE of Rugby | 48.66500, -99.77062 |
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| Allard WPA | 267 | 36 mi NE of Rugby | 48.82703, -99.60801 |
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| Elbow Lake WPA | 263 | 14 mi NE of Rugby | 48.54694, -99.83199 |
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| Ox Creek WPA | 260 | 22 mi NE of Rugby | 48.65984, -99.78701 |
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| Little Gurr Lake WPA 259 deeded ac |
253 | 23 mi N of Rugby | 48.68820, -99.87709 |
Map · Directions |
| Willow Lake WPA | 244 | 16 mi NE of Bottineau | 48.93511, -100.13437 |
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| Wheeler WPA 234 deeded ac |
149 | 27 mi N of Rugby | 48.74399, -99.81535 |
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| Long Lake WPA | 128 | 23 mi NE of Rugby | 48.65547, -99.75155 |
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| West Ghost Valley WPA | 120 | 13 mi N of Rugby | 48.55408, -99.94449 |
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| Foss WPA | 110 | 20 mi N of Rugby | 48.66264, -100.06034 |
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| Beaver WPA | 106 | 21 mi N of Rugby | 48.67365, -99.94228 |
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| Grenier WPA | 75 | 25 mi N of Rugby | 48.72048, -99.90091 |
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| Osben Smith WPA | 75 | 23 mi N of Rugby | 48.70388, -99.96629 |
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| Tastad WPA | 72 | 20 mi N of Rugby | 48.65897, -99.89000 |
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| Berube WPA | 68 | 19 mi E of Bottineau | 48.80219, -100.02827 |
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| Russel Township WPA | 42 | 23 mi E of Bottineau | 48.72055, -99.96674 |
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| Gilje WPA | 40 | 25 mi N of Rugby | 48.72048, -99.87901 |
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| Lashman WPA | 40 | 28 mi N of Rugby | 48.76030, -99.84059 |
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| Robert Gilge WPA | 40 | 24 mi N of Rugby | 48.70651, -99.89261 |
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| Rice Township WPA | 40 | 17 mi NE of Rugby | 48.58664, -99.83325 |
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| Juntunen WPA | 20 | 34 mi NE of Rugby | 48.81901, -99.68043 |
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| US Customs WPA | 20 | 38 mi E of Bottineau | 48.99825, -99.64407 |
Map · Directions |
| Kelvin WPA | 3.0 | 19 mi E of Bottineau | 48.93483, -100.05213 |
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 Rolette 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 Rolette 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.
- Bottineau, ND27 mi — county center is E of town
- Rugby, ND34 mi — county center is N of town
- Devils Lake, ND69 mi — county center is NW of town
- Minot, ND79 mi — county center is NE of town
Shooting hours in Rolette County
Today at Rolette 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 | 8:24 PM | 13h 30m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:44 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:55 PM | 12h 41m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 7:07 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:20 PM | 11h 44m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 7:27 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:52 PM | 10h 54m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:21 PM | 9h 56m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 7:17 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:01 PM | 9h 13m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 7:41 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:46 PM | 8h 35m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:55 AM | 8:25 AM | 4:43 PM | 8h 17m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 8:02 AM | 8:32 AM | 4:51 PM | 8h 19m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 7:57 AM | 8:27 AM | 5:08 PM | 8h 40m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 7:40 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:34 PM | 9h 24m |
Computed for 48.862, -99.860 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.
7-day forecast for Rolette 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 Rolette County
Refuge hunt units in Rolette County
| Unit | Refuge | Status | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| WPA Open | J. Clark Salyer WMD | ✓Open | 34,021 |
Neighboring counties with WPAs
- Bottineau County, ND 16 WPAs · 2.6K ac
- Pierce County, ND 50 WPAs · 12.7K ac
- Towner County, ND 26 WPAs · 7.4K ac
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.