Waterfowl Production Area · Flathead County, Montana

Smith Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Smith Lake Waterfowl Production Area is a 1,583-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Flathead County, Montana. It is managed by the Northwest Montana Wetland Management District-Flathead County as part of the Flathead 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 Northwest Montana WMD-Flathead County rules →
1,583GIS acres
1,507deeded acres
Flathead Countycounty
7WPAs within 40 mi

Smith 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 Flathead County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Smith Lake WPA

What you can typically do

  • Hunt waterfowl, upland birds, deer and other game in season under Montana 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 Smith Lake WPA

Navigate

Destination: Smith Lake Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
48.10263, -114.47388
DMS
48°06′09.5″N 114°28′26.0″W

Nearest towns

  • Kalispell, MT10 mi SW of town
  • Missoula, MT88 mi N of town
  • Bonners Ferry, ID94 mi SE of town

Closest airports

  • FCA Glacier Park Intl17 mi

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

Shooting hours at Smith Lake WPA

Today at Smith Lake WPA

Legal light*–
Sunrise–
Sunset–

*½ hour before sunrise — the standard federal shooting-hour start for migratory game birds. Times in Denver local time.

Full season calculator →

2026–2027 season sun table

DateShooting lightSunriseSunsetDaylight
Tue, Sep 1, 20266:24 AM6:54 AM8:22 PM13h 28m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:43 AM7:13 AM7:53 PM12h 40m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:05 AM7:35 AM7:19 PM11h 44m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:25 AM7:55 AM6:51 PM10h 56m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:51 AM7:21 AM5:21 PM9h 60m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:13 AM7:43 AM5:01 PM9h 18m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:36 AM8:06 AM4:47 PM8h 41m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:51 AM8:21 AM4:44 PM8h 24m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:57 AM8:27 AM4:53 PM8h 26m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:53 AM8:23 AM5:09 PM8h 46m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:36 AM8:06 AM5:35 PM9h 28m

Computed for 48.103, -114.474 (MDT / 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
Batavia WPA5315.7 mi NEFlathead County
Trust for Public Land WPA53613 mi EFlathead County
Lazy N Ranch WPA1,93113 mi EFlathead County
McGregor Meadows WPA82616 mi WFlathead County
Lost Trail WPA8221 mi WFlathead County
Prongua WPA2,46524 mi WFlathead County
Cruz WPA32232 mi SELake County

Closest refuges & districts

Northwest Montana WMD-Flathead County

Flathead County, MT · 15 mi E

2 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

7.2K huntable acres

Creston NFH

Flathead County, MT · 18 mi E

1 closed
No hunting listed

Lost Trail NWR

Flathead County, MT · 20 mi W

1 open1 closed
🦌🦃🐦

3.2K huntable acres

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