Waterfowl Production Area · Douglas County, Minnesota

Ellis Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Ellis Waterfowl Production Area is a 53-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Douglas County, Minnesota. It is managed by the Fergus Falls Wetland Management District as part of the Douglas 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 Fergus Falls WMD rules →
53GIS acres
52deeded acres
Douglas Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Ellis 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 Douglas County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Ellis 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 Ellis WPA

Navigate

Destination: Ellis Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
45.83645, -95.19731
DMS
45°50′11.2″N 95°11′50.3″W

Nearest towns

  • Alexandria, MN9.5 mi SE of town
  • Morris, MN38 mi NE of town
  • Willmar, MN50 mi N of town

Closest airports

  • FAR Fargo Hector Intl108 mi

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

Shooting hours at Ellis WPA

Today at Ellis 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, 20266:10 AM6:40 AM8:01 PM13h 21m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:27 AM6:57 AM7:34 PM12h 37m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:47 AM7:17 AM7:03 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:05 AM7:35 AM6:37 PM11h 01m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:29 AM6:59 AM5:09 PM10h 09m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:49 AM7:19 AM4:51 PM9h 31m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:11 AM7:41 AM4:38 PM8h 58m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:24 AM7:54 AM4:36 PM8h 42m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:31 AM8:01 AM4:45 PM8h 44m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:28 AM7:58 AM5:00 PM9h 02m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:13 AM7:43 AM5:24 PM9h 41m

Computed for 45.836, -95.197 (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
Tenhoff WPA3561.1 mi EDouglas County
Ash WPA2521.4 mi SWDouglas County
Berninghaus WPA2451.7 mi NWDouglas County
Orange WPA4333.1 mi SWDouglas County
Peterson WPA1783.3 mi NWDouglas County
Faber WPA893.5 mi ETodd County
Schultz Lake WPA3203.7 mi SDouglas County
Sogge WPA1373.9 mi ETodd County

Closest refuges & districts

Morris WMD

Stevens County, MN · 36 mi SW

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

56.6K huntable acres

Crane Meadows NWR

Morrison County, MN · 46 mi E

1 open2 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇

2.2K huntable acres

Fergus Falls WMD

Otter Tail County, MN · 49 mi NW

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

49.4K huntable acres

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