Valley City WMD
Barnes County, ND
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19.7K huntable acres
County guide · North Dakota · ND WPAs
Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in Steele County, ND
Steele County has 10 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 2,934 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Fuller's Lake WPA at 1,129 acres; the average tract is about 293 acres, and 4 are smaller than 80 acres.
WPAs here are managed by the Valley City Wetland Management District, which sets any district-specific rules (vehicle access, blinds, nontoxic shot, closed areas).
The county covers about 719 square miles and has roughly 1,798 residents. WPAs make up about 0.6% of its land area.
10named WPAs
2.9Kacres of WPA land
1,129largest WPA (ac)
1refuges & districts
Map of WPAs in Steele 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 Steele County
| WPA | Acres | Nearest town | GPS | Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuller's Lake WPA 1,121 deeded ac |
1,129 | 34 mi NE of Valley City | 47.31813, -97.58393 |
Map · Directions |
| Shaw WPA | 639 | 37 mi SW of Grand Forks | 47.60034, -97.65355 |
Map · Directions |
| Rogers WPA | 340 | 31 mi NE of Valley City | 47.30472, -97.65115 |
Map · Directions |
| Salander WPA 309 deeded ac |
302 | 33 mi NE of Valley City | 47.33020, -97.65037 |
Map · Directions |
| Erickson WPA | 161 | 39 mi SW of Grand Forks | 47.56047, -97.65961 |
Map · Directions |
| Dronen WPA | 92 | 31 mi N of Valley City | 47.36574, -97.92523 |
Map · Directions |
| Fritz WPA | 80 | 44 mi N of Valley City | 47.54856, -97.87294 |
Map · Directions |
| Thykeson WPA | 80 | 39 mi SW of Grand Forks | 47.55316, -97.65158 |
Map · Directions |
| Wigen WPA | 80 | 38 mi SW of Grand Forks | 47.55304, -97.63033 |
Map · Directions |
| Thorson WPA | 32 | 35 mi NE of Valley City | 47.32052, -97.55765 |
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 Steele 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 Steele 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.
- Valley City, ND42 mi — county center is N of town
- Grand Forks, ND44 mi — county center is SW of town
- Jamestown, ND61 mi — county center is NE of town
- Fargo, ND62 mi — county center is NW of town
Shooting hours in Steele County
Today at Steele 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 | 6:18 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:14 PM | 13h 26m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:36 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:45 PM | 12h 39m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 6:58 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:12 PM | 11h 45m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 7:17 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:45 PM | 10h 58m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:43 AM | 7:13 AM | 5:15 PM | 10h 02m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 7:04 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:56 PM | 9h 22m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 7:27 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:43 PM | 8h 46m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:41 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:40 PM | 8h 29m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 7:48 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:49 PM | 8h 31m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 7:44 AM | 8:14 AM | 5:04 PM | 8h 50m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 7:28 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:29 PM | 9h 32m |
Computed for 47.502, -97.732 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.
7-day forecast for Steele 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 Steele County
Neighboring counties with WPAs
- Barnes County, ND 44 WPAs · 8.2K ac
- Cass County, ND 4 WPAs · 3.4K ac
- Grand Forks County, ND 15 WPAs · 7.2K ac
- Griggs County, ND 17 WPAs · 4.4K ac
- Nelson County, ND 24 WPAs · 3.3K ac
- Traill County, ND 4 WPAs · 716 ac
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.