Waterfowl Production Area · Mahnomen County, Minnesota

Nelson Prairie Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Nelson Prairie Waterfowl Production Area is a 2,082-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat 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 →
2,082GIS acres
2,064deeded acres
Mahnomen Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Nelson 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 Mahnomen County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Nelson 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 Nelson Prairie WPA

Navigate

Destination: Nelson Prairie Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
47.47776, -95.97064
DMS
47°28′39.9″N 95°58′14.3″W

Nearest towns

  • Thief River Falls, MN45 mi S of town
  • Detroit Lakes, MN46 mi N of town
  • Bemidji, MN51 mi W 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 Nelson Prairie WPA

Today at Nelson 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, 20266:11 AM6:41 AM8:07 PM13h 26m
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 AM6:38 PM10h 58m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:36 AM7:06 AM5:08 PM10h 03m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:57 AM7:27 AM4:49 PM9h 22m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:20 AM7:50 AM4:36 PM8h 46m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:34 AM8:04 AM4:33 PM8h 29m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:41 AM8:11 AM4:42 PM8h 31m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:37 AM8:07 AM4:57 PM8h 51m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:21 AM7:51 AM5:22 PM9h 32m

Computed for 47.478, -95.971 (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
Opgrand WPA1224.8 mi NEPolk County
Beaulieu Lake WPA3505.7 mi EMahnomen County
Vesledahl WPA5716.2 mi NWPolk County
Mee WPA2167.3 mi EMahnomen County
Winger WPA1,7587.5 mi NPolk County
Aasen WPA2007.7 mi NPolk County
Maltrod Lake WPA2958.0 mi NWPolk County
Barker WPA6918.2 mi SMahnomen County

Closest refuges & districts

Rydell NWR

Polk County, MN · 14 mi NW

2 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

1.8K huntable acres

Glacial Ridge NWR

Polk County, MN · 22 mi NW

2 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗

17.4K huntable acres

Hamden Slough NWR

Becker County, MN · 34 mi S

3 special
🦌🦆

3.4K huntable acres

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