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 Towner County, ND
Towner County has 26 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 7,384 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Nikolaisen WPA at 2,657 acres; the average tract is about 284 acres, and 10 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 1,030 square miles and has roughly 2,162 residents. WPAs make up about 1.1% of its land area.
26named WPAs
7.4Kacres of WPA land
2,657largest WPA (ac)
2refuges & districts
Map of WPAs in Towner 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 Towner County
| WPA | Acres | Nearest town | GPS | Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikolaisen WPA 2,650 deeded ac |
2,657 | 37 mi NW of Devils Lake | 48.58798, -99.20853 |
Map · Directions |
| Stephens Memorial WPA | 641 | 53 mi NE of Rugby | 48.94272, -99.23200 |
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| Towner WPA | 639 | 49 mi NE of Rugby | 48.88848, -99.27382 |
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| Halvorson WPA | 470 | 36 mi NW of Devils Lake | 48.59517, -99.17991 |
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| Big Coulee WPA | 437 | 32 mi NW of Devils Lake | 48.52705, -99.19425 |
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| Tuff WPA | 319 | 49 mi NE of Rugby | 48.88116, -99.23202 |
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| Johnson WPA | 231 | 33 mi NW of Devils Lake | 48.50248, -99.28403 |
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| Brightbill WPA | 200 | 36 mi N of Devils Lake | 48.59869, -99.12116 |
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| North Rock Lake WPA | 199 | 50 mi NE of Rugby | 48.87397, -99.19353 |
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| Ballinger WPA 180 deeded ac |
175 | 36 mi N of Devils Lake | 48.60417, -99.13737 |
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| Putman WPA | 161 | 34 mi N of Devils Lake | 48.59504, -99.00593 |
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| Kahl WPA 160 deeded ac |
153 | 33 mi NW of Devils Lake | 48.51215, -99.27013 |
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| Freund WPA | 151 | 33 mi NW of Devils Lake | 48.54089, -99.19321 |
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| Kitsch WPA | 151 | 40 mi NE of Rugby | 48.85210, -99.52055 |
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| Amble WPA | 142 | 57 mi NE of Rugby | 48.93864, -99.08645 |
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| Pung WPA | 141 | 36 mi N of Devils Lake | 48.62724, -98.96517 |
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| Rock Lake WPA | 78 | 50 mi NE of Rugby | 48.85949, -99.17979 |
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| Dash Lake WPA 56 deeded ac |
69 | 58 mi NE of Rugby | 48.97534, -99.09828 |
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| Koch WPA | 66 | 40 mi N of Devils Lake | 48.64419, -99.19608 |
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| Moore Lake WPA | 62 | 49 mi NE of Rugby | 48.91609, -99.29531 |
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| Rod WPA | 60 | 48 mi NE of Rugby | 48.91001, -99.31988 |
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| Oen WPA | 54 | 35 mi N of Devils Lake | 48.59746, -99.08759 |
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| Townson WPA | 35 | 42 mi NE of Rugby | 48.86106, -99.46320 |
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| Melvin WPA | 34 | 32 mi NW of Devils Lake | 48.46970, -99.30738 |
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| Krack WPA | 32 | 26 mi NW of Devils Lake | 48.40899, -99.20653 |
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| Pound Lake WPA | 27 | 50 mi NE of Rugby | 48.95266, -99.34946 |
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 Towner 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 Towner 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.
- Rugby, ND39 mi — county center is NE of town
- Devils Lake, ND40 mi — county center is NW of town
- Bottineau, ND57 mi — county center is E of town
- Carrington, ND82 mi — county center is N of town
Shooting hours in Towner County
Today at Towner 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 | 6:22 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:21 PM | 13h 29m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:41 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:52 PM | 12h 41m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 7:04 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:18 PM | 11h 44m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 7:25 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:49 PM | 10h 55m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:19 PM | 9h 57m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 7:14 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:59 PM | 9h 15m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 7:37 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:44 PM | 8h 37m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:52 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:41 PM | 8h 19m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 7:59 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:50 PM | 8h 21m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 7:54 AM | 8:24 AM | 5:06 PM | 8h 42m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 7:37 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:32 PM | 9h 25m |
Computed for 48.634, -99.231 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.
7-day forecast for Towner 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 Towner County
Neighboring counties with WPAs
- Benson County, ND 60 WPAs · 9.2K ac
- Cavalier County, ND 38 WPAs · 12.2K ac
- Pierce County, ND 50 WPAs · 12.7K ac
- Ramsey County, ND 42 WPAs · 9.6K ac
- Rolette County, ND 28 WPAs · 6K ac
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.