Waterfowl Production Area · Clay County, Minnesota

Whiskey Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Whiskey Lake Waterfowl Production Area is a 309-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat 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.

309GIS acres
320deeded acres
Clay Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Whiskey Lake 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 Whiskey Lake 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 Whiskey Lake WPA

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Destination: Whiskey Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
46.64419, -96.18562
DMS
46°38′39.1″N 96°11′08.2″W

Nearest towns

  • Detroit Lakes, MN20 mi SW of town
  • Fergus Falls, MN26 mi N of town
  • Moorhead, MN32 mi SE of town

Closest airports

  • FAR Fargo Hector Intl36 mi

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

Shooting hours at Whiskey Lake WPA

Today at Whiskey Lake 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, 20266:13 AM6:43 AM8:06 PM13h 23m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:31 AM7:01 AM7:39 PM12h 38m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:51 AM7:21 AM7:06 PM11h 45m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:10 AM7:40 AM6:40 PM10h 60m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:35 AM7:05 AM5:11 PM10h 06m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:56 AM7:26 AM4:53 PM9h 27m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:17 AM7:47 AM4:40 PM8h 52m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:32 AM8:02 AM4:37 PM8h 36m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:38 AM8:08 AM4:46 PM8h 37m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:35 AM8:05 AM5:01 PM8h 57m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:19 AM7:49 AM5:26 PM9h 36m

Computed for 46.644, -96.186 (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
Gardner WPA1251.4 mi SWOtter Tail County
Haiby WPA1932.2 mi SOtter Tail County
Klovstad WPA182.7 mi SWOtter Tail County
Julsrud WPA3812.9 mi WClay County
Ness WPA1023.1 mi WClay County
Tweeton WPA2733.2 mi NOtter Tail County
Haugtvedt WPA7313.3 mi WClay County
Toso WPA213.6 mi SWOtter Tail County

Closest refuges & districts

Detroit Lakes WMD

Becker County, MN · 21 mi NE

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

50.2K huntable acres

Hamden Slough NWR

Becker County, MN · 25 mi N

3 special
🦌🦆

3.4K huntable acres

Fergus Falls WMD

Otter Tail County, MN · 29 mi S

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

49.4K 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.