Waterfowl Production Area · Mahnomen County, Minnesota

Chief Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 421 acres, Chief Lake Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Mahnomen County, Minnesota. It is managed by the Detroit Lakes Wetland Management District as part of the Mahnomen County Waterfowl Production Area 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 →
421GIS acres
415deeded acres
Mahnomen Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Chief 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 Mahnomen County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Chief 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 Chief Lake WPA

Navigate

Destination: Chief Lake Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
47.36814, -95.84807
DMS
47°22′05.3″N 95°50′53.1″W

Nearest towns

  • Detroit Lakes, MN38 mi N of town
  • Bemidji, MN46 mi W of town
  • Thief River Falls, MN54 mi S of town

Closest airports

  • FAR Fargo Hector Intl55 mi

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

Shooting hours at Chief Lake WPA

Today at Chief 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 AM8:06 PM13h 25m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:29 AM6:59 AM7:38 PM12h 39m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:50 AM7:20 AM7:05 PM11h 45m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:10 AM7:40 AM6:37 PM10h 58m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:35 AM7:05 AM5:08 PM10h 03m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:56 AM7:26 AM4:49 PM9h 23m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:19 AM7:49 AM4:36 PM8h 47m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:33 AM8:03 AM4:33 PM8h 30m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:40 AM8:10 AM4:42 PM8h 32m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:36 AM8:06 AM4:57 PM8h 51m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:20 AM7:50 AM5:22 PM9h 32m

Computed for 47.368, -95.848 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day forecast

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

Nearby Waterfowl Production Areas

WPAAcresDistanceCounty
Tiny WPA8.81.8 mi SEMahnomen County
Circle Lake WPA1552.3 mi EMahnomen County
Edwin Lake WPA3943.9 mi EMahnomen County
Barker WPA6914.5 mi WMahnomen County
Sandy Lake WPA1615.2 mi SMahnomen County
Little Oak Lake WPA695.7 mi SMahnomen County
Erion WPA398.4 mi SMahnomen County
Beaulieu Lake WPA3508.6 mi NMahnomen County

Closest refuges & districts

Rydell NWR

Polk County, MN · 23 mi NW

2 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

1.8K huntable acres

Hamden Slough NWR

Becker County, MN · 28 mi S

3 special
🦌🦆

3.4K huntable acres

Tamarac NWR

Becker County, MN · 29 mi S

6 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

42K huntable acres

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