Waterfowl Production Area · Otter Tail County, Minnesota

Pelican Valley Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Pelican Valley Waterfowl Production Area is a 522-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.

522GIS acres
518deeded acres
Otter Tail Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Pelican Valley 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 Pelican Valley 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 Pelican Valley WPA

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Destination: Pelican Valley Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
46.54105, -96.10482
DMS
46°32′27.8″N 96°06′17.4″W

Nearest towns

  • Fergus Falls, MN18 mi N of town
  • Detroit Lakes, MN23 mi SW of town
  • Wahpeton, ND30 mi NE of town

Closest airports

  • FAR Fargo Hector Intl43 mi

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

Shooting hours at Pelican Valley WPA

Today at Pelican Valley 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, 20266:13 AM6:43 AM8:06 PM13h 23m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:30 AM7:00 AM7:38 PM12h 38m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:51 AM7:21 AM7:06 PM11h 45m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:10 AM7:40 AM6:39 PM10h 60m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:34 AM7:04 AM5:11 PM10h 07m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:55 AM7:25 AM4:52 PM9h 27m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:17 AM7:47 AM4:40 PM8h 53m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:31 AM8:01 AM4:37 PM8h 36m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:38 AM8:08 AM4:46 PM8h 38m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:34 AM8:04 AM5:01 PM8h 57m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:19 AM7:49 AM5:26 PM9h 37m

Computed for 46.541, -96.105 (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
Pheasants Forever Inc. WPA801.5 mi NWOtter Tail County
Grefsrud WPA2511.8 mi NWOtter Tail County
Backstrom WPA6992.1 mi SOtter Tail County
Simpson WPA5202.5 mi EOtter Tail County
Grenna Lake WPA722.6 mi WOtter Tail County
Gilmore WPA422.8 mi SOtter Tail County
Grunewald WPA713.0 mi EOtter Tail County
Tweet WPA204.0 mi SWOtter Tail County

Closest refuges & districts

Fergus Falls WMD

Otter Tail County, MN · 21 mi S

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

49.4K huntable acres

Detroit Lakes WMD

Becker County, MN · 25 mi NE

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

50.2K huntable acres

Hamden Slough NWR

Becker County, MN · 31 mi N

3 special
🦌🦆

3.4K huntable acres

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