Waterfowl Production Area · Otter Tail County, Minnesota

Blacken Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Blacken Lake Waterfowl Production Area is a 164-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. It is managed by the Fergus Falls Wetland Management District as part of the Otter Tail 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.

164GIS acres
166deeded acres
Otter Tail Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Blacken 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 Otter Tail County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Blacken 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 Blacken Lake WPA

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Destination: Blacken Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
46.13717, -95.86106
DMS
46°08′13.8″N 95°51′39.8″W

Nearest towns

  • Fergus Falls, MN14 mi SE of town
  • Alexandria, MN29 mi NW of town
  • Wahpeton, ND37 mi E of town

Closest airports

  • FAR Fargo Hector Intl71 mi

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

Shooting hours at Blacken Lake WPA

Today at Blacken 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, 20266:12 AM6:42 AM8:04 PM13h 22m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:30 AM7:00 AM7:37 PM12h 38m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:50 AM7:20 AM7:05 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:08 AM7:38 AM6:39 PM11h 01m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:32 AM7:02 AM5:11 PM10h 08m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:53 AM7:23 AM4:53 PM9h 30m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:14 AM7:44 AM4:40 PM8h 56m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:28 AM7:58 AM4:38 PM8h 40m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:35 AM8:05 AM4:46 PM8h 41m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:32 AM8:02 AM5:02 PM9h 00m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:17 AM7:47 AM5:26 PM9h 39m

Computed for 46.137, -95.861 (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
Morrison WPA1711.4 mi WOtter Tail County
Finkelson WPA472.5 mi WOtter Tail County
Evavold WPA873.0 mi SGrant County
Soland WPA2733.1 mi SWGrant County
Arfsten WPA403.2 mi NWOtter Tail County
Tollefson WPA163.3 mi EOtter Tail County
Sumstad WPA343.9 mi SGrant County
Pelican Creek WPA1174.3 mi SGrant County

Closest refuges & districts

Fergus Falls WMD

Otter Tail County, MN · 11 mi NW

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

49.4K huntable acres

Morris WMD

Stevens County, MN · 36 mi S

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

56.6K huntable acres

Detroit Lakes WMD

Becker County, MN · 49 mi N

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

50.2K huntable acres

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