Waterfowl Production Area · Mahnomen County, Minnesota

Squirrel Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 605 acres, Squirrel 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 →
605GIS acres
604deeded acres
Mahnomen Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Squirrel 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 Squirrel 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 Squirrel Lake WPA

Navigate

Destination: Squirrel Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Google Maps Apple Maps Waze
Decimal
47.16852, -95.87898
DMS
47°10′06.7″N 95°52′44.3″W

Nearest towns

  • Detroit Lakes, MN24 mi N of town
  • Moorhead, MN47 mi NE of town
  • Fargo, ND47 mi NE of town

Closest airports

  • FAR Fargo Hector Intl48 mi

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

Shooting hours at Squirrel Lake WPA

Today at Squirrel 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, 20267:09 AM7:39 AM6:38 PM10h 58m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:35 AM7:05 AM5:09 PM10h 04m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:56 AM7:26 AM4:50 PM9h 24m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:18 AM7:48 AM4:36 PM8h 48m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:32 AM8:02 AM4:34 PM8h 31m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:39 AM8:09 AM4:43 PM8h 33m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:35 AM8:05 AM4:58 PM8h 53m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:19 AM7:49 AM5:23 PM9h 33m

Computed for 47.169, -95.879 (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
Waubun WPA2821.9 mi WMahnomen County
Kent WPA2002.9 mi SBecker County
Dropseed WPA964.5 mi NWMahnomen County
Paul Jr. WPA794.7 mi NEMahnomen County
Moore Lake WPA804.7 mi NWMahnomen County
Paul Sr. WPA2454.8 mi NMahnomen County
Downing WPA785.0 mi WBecker County
Haggman WPA2405.0 mi NMahnomen County

Closest refuges & districts

Hamden Slough NWR

Becker County, MN · 14 mi S

3 special
🦌🦆

3.4K huntable acres

Tamarac NWR

Becker County, MN · 18 mi SE

6 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

42K huntable acres

Detroit Lakes WMD

Becker County, MN · 22 mi S

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

50.2K huntable acres

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