Waterfowl Production Area · Clay County, Minnesota

Hay Creek Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 448 acres, Hay Creek Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Clay County, Minnesota. It is managed by the Detroit Lakes Wetland Management District as part of the Clay County Waterfowl Production Area of Mn group of WPAs. Waterfowl Production Areas are purchased largely with Federal Duck Stamp dollars and are generally open to hunting, trapping and fishing under state regulations, with some federal restrictions.

Navigate here Satellite map Detroit Lakes WMD rules →
448GIS acres
449deeded acres
Clay Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Hay Creek WPA satellite map

Gold outlines are fee-title Waterfowl Production Areas — public land. Everything outside is typically private; always look for boundary signs.

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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 WPAs in Clay County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Hay Creek WPA

What you can typically do

  • Hunt waterfowl, upland birds, deer and other game in season under Minnesota regulations
  • Walk in from roads or designated parking areas — vehicles generally stay off the tract
  • Fish and trap where state rules and district regulations allow
  • Wildlife watching, photography and hiking

Common restrictions

  • No camping, fires or overnight use on most WPAs
  • Motorized vehicles only on designated roads/parking
  • Temporary blinds and stands usually must be removed daily
  • Non-toxic shot required for waterfowl — many districts require it for all shotgun hunting
  • Some tracts have closed areas or special regulations — check signs

How to get to Hay Creek WPA

Navigate

Destination: Hay Creek Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
46.79468, -96.46825
DMS
46°47′40.8″N 96°28′05.7″W

Nearest towns

  • Moorhead, MN15 mi E of town
  • Fargo, ND16 mi E of town
  • Detroit Lakes, MN29 mi W of town

Closest airports

  • FAR Fargo Hector Intl19 mi

Straight-line distances. Driving routes are longer; many refuge roads are gravel and may close seasonally.

Shooting hours at Hay Creek WPA

Today at Hay Creek WPA

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

DateShooting lightSunriseSunsetDaylight
Tue, Sep 1, 20266:14 AM6:44 AM8:08 PM13h 24m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:32 AM7:02 AM7:40 PM12h 38m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:52 AM7:22 AM7:08 PM11h 45m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:11 AM7:41 AM6:41 PM10h 59m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:36 AM7:06 AM5:12 PM10h 05m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:57 AM7:27 AM4:53 PM9h 26m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:19 AM7:49 AM4:40 PM8h 51m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:33 AM8:03 AM4:38 PM8h 34m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:40 AM8:10 AM4:46 PM8h 36m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:36 AM8:06 AM5:02 PM8h 56m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:21 AM7:51 AM5:26 PM9h 35m

Computed for 46.795, -96.468 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day forecast

Loading National Weather Service forecast…

Forecast from the National Weather Service. Wind direction matters — plan your approach downwind of where game beds.

Nearby Waterfowl Production Areas

WPAAcresDistanceCounty
Downer Prairie WPA2632.0 mi SWClay County
Bjornson WPA1164.3 mi EClay County
Kasin WPA1956.1 mi EClay County
McDonald WPA406.6 mi SEClay County
Kenyon WPA7797.4 mi EClay County
Doran Lake WPA3297.9 mi EClay County
Nelson WPA2418.2 mi EClay County
Bjorndahl WPA418.3 mi NEClay County

Closest refuges & districts

Hamden Slough NWR

Becker County, MN · 26 mi NE

3 special
🦌🦆

3.4K huntable acres

Detroit Lakes WMD

Becker County, MN · 30 mi E

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

50.2K huntable acres

Tamarac NWR

Becker County, MN · 42 mi E

6 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

42K huntable acres

Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest), Clay County Waterfowl Production Area of Mn. Acreage from GIS polygons; deeded acreage from realty records.