Waterfowl Production Area · Clay County, Minnesota

Zilmer Prairie Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Zilmer Prairie Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 11 acres located 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.

11GIS acres
11deeded acres
Clay Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Zilmer Prairie 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 Zilmer Prairie 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 Zilmer Prairie WPA

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Destination: Zilmer Prairie Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
47.05153, -96.43755
DMS
47°03′05.5″N 96°26′15.2″W

Nearest towns

  • Moorhead, MN20 mi NE of town
  • Fargo, ND20 mi NE of town
  • Detroit Lakes, MN32 mi NW of town

Closest airports

  • FAR Fargo Hector Intl20 mi

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

Shooting hours at Zilmer Prairie WPA

Today at Zilmer Prairie 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 AM8:08 PM13h 25m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:31 AM7:01 AM7:40 PM12h 39m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:52 AM7:22 AM7:07 PM11h 45m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:12 AM7:42 AM6:40 PM10h 59m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:37 AM7:07 AM5:11 PM10h 04m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:58 AM7:28 AM4:52 PM9h 24m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:20 AM7:50 AM4:39 PM8h 49m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:34 AM8:04 AM4:37 PM8h 32m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:41 AM8:11 AM4:45 PM8h 34m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:37 AM8:07 AM5:01 PM8h 54m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:21 AM7:51 AM5:25 PM9h 34m

Computed for 47.052, -96.438 (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
Flowing WPA1473.5 mi SWClay County
Flickertail Prairie WPA9783.6 mi EClay County
Melby WPA885.0 mi SEClay County
Holte WPA725.4 mi SEClay County
Hatchet Lake WPA945.5 mi SClay County
Fuglie WPA6315.9 mi EClay County
Jarvis WPA1246.0 mi SClay County
Goose Lake WPA2177.0 mi EClay County

Closest refuges & districts

Hamden Slough NWR

Becker County, MN · 22 mi E

3 special
🦌🦆

3.4K huntable acres

Detroit Lakes WMD

Becker County, MN · 31 mi SE

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

50.2K huntable acres

Tamarac NWR

Becker County, MN · 39 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.