Waterfowl Production Area · Douglas County, Minnesota

Nelson Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 93 acres, Nelson Lake Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands 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 →
93GIS acres
92deeded acres
Douglas Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Nelson 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 Douglas County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Nelson 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 Nelson Lake WPA

Navigate

Destination: Nelson Lake Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
45.94638, -95.54571
DMS
45°56′47.0″N 95°32′44.6″W

Nearest towns

  • Alexandria, MN8.9 mi NW of town
  • Morris, MN30 mi NE of town
  • Fergus Falls, MN34 mi SE of town

Closest airports

  • FAR Fargo Hector Intl91 mi

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

Shooting hours at Nelson Lake WPA

Today at Nelson 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, 20266:11 AM6:41 AM8:03 PM13h 22m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:28 AM6:58 AM7:36 PM12h 37m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:48 AM7:18 AM7:04 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:07 AM7:37 AM6:38 PM11h 01m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:31 AM7:01 AM5:10 PM10h 09m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:51 AM7:21 AM4:52 PM9h 31m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:12 AM7:42 AM4:39 PM8h 57m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:26 AM7:56 AM4:37 PM8h 41m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:33 AM8:03 AM4:46 PM8h 43m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:30 AM8:00 AM5:01 PM9h 01m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:15 AM7:45 AM5:25 PM9h 40m

Computed for 45.946, -95.546 (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
Langos WPA1151.4 mi NWDouglas County
Lobster Lake WPA2003.9 mi SEDouglas County
Stowe Lake WPA4685.0 mi NWDouglas County
Banke Slough WPA3475.3 mi SWDouglas County
Chance WPA766.1 mi NEDouglas County
Wagner WPA1626.1 mi NDouglas County
Klimek WPA386.4 mi NWDouglas County
Tower Hill WPA346.9 mi SWDouglas County

Closest refuges & districts

Morris WMD

Stevens County, MN · 28 mi SW

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

56.6K huntable acres

Fergus Falls WMD

Otter Tail County, MN · 31 mi NW

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

49.4K huntable acres

Big Stone WMD

Big Stone County, MN · 61 mi SW

1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

4.4K 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.