Waterfowl Production Area · Pope County, Minnesota

Ben Wade Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 258 acres, Ben Wade Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Pope County, Minnesota. It is managed by the Morris Wetland Management District as part of the Pope 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 Morris WMD rules →
258GIS acres
256deeded acres
Pope Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Ben Wade 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 Pope County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Ben Wade 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 Ben Wade WPA

Navigate

Destination: Ben Wade Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
45.74834, -95.58236
DMS
45°44′54.0″N 95°34′56.5″W

Nearest towns

  • Alexandria, MN14 mi SW of town
  • Morris, MN19 mi NE of town
  • Fergus Falls, MN44 mi SE of town

Closest airports

  • FAR Fargo Hector Intl100 mi

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

Shooting hours at Ben Wade WPA

Today at Ben Wade 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 AM8:03 PM13h 21m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:29 AM6:59 AM7:36 PM12h 37m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:48 AM7:18 AM7:04 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:07 AM7:37 AM6:38 PM11h 02m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:31 AM7:01 AM5:10 PM10h 10m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:51 AM7:21 AM4:53 PM9h 32m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:12 AM7:42 AM4:40 PM8h 58m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:26 AM7:56 AM4:38 PM8h 42m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:33 AM8:03 AM4:47 PM8h 44m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:29 AM7:59 AM5:02 PM9h 03m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:14 AM7:44 AM5:26 PM9h 41m

Computed for 45.748, -95.582 (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
McDowell WPA2141.7 mi NWDouglas County
Jorgenson WPA1462.4 mi EPope County
Pocket Lake WPA1483.5 mi NEDouglas County
Rosby Lake WPA2233.7 mi SWPope County
Sabolik WPA3103.8 mi NWDouglas County
McIver WPA2914.1 mi SWPope County
Thompson WPA404.1 mi NWDouglas County
Moen WPA1614.7 mi SWPope County

Closest refuges & districts

Morris WMD

Stevens County, MN · 17 mi SW

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

56.6K huntable acres

Fergus Falls WMD

Otter Tail County, MN · 40 mi NW

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

49.4K huntable acres

Big Stone WMD

Big Stone County, MN · 50 mi SW

1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

4.4K huntable acres

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