Waterfowl Production Area · Sheridan County, Montana

Carlson Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Carlson Waterfowl Production Area is a 78-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Sheridan County, Montana. It is managed by the Northeast Montana Wetland Management District as part of the Sheridan County Waterfowl Production Area of Mt 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 Northeast Montana WMD rules →
78GIS acres
77deeded acres
Sheridan Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Carlson WPA satellite map

Gold outlines are fee-title Waterfowl Production Areas — public land. Everything outside is typically private; always look for boundary signs.

Loading interactive map…
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 Sheridan County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Carlson 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 Carlson WPA

Navigate

Destination: Carlson Waterfowl Production Area

Google Maps Apple Maps Waze
Decimal
48.48906, -104.49197
DMS
48°29′20.6″N 104°29′31.1″W

Nearest towns

  • Plentywood, MT20 mi S of town
  • Williston, ND46 mi NW of town
  • Sidney, MT55 mi N of town

Closest airports

  • MOT Minot Intl148 mi

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

Shooting hours at Carlson WPA

Today at Carlson 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, 20265:43 AM6:13 AM7:42 PM13h 29m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:03 AM6:33 AM7:13 PM12h 40m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:25 AM6:55 AM6:39 PM11h 44m
Thu, Oct 15, 20266:45 AM7:15 AM6:11 PM10h 55m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:12 AM6:42 AM4:40 PM9h 58m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:34 AM7:04 AM4:20 PM9h 16m
Tue, Dec 1, 20266:58 AM7:28 AM4:06 PM8h 38m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:12 AM7:42 AM4:03 PM8h 20m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:19 AM7:49 AM4:12 PM8h 22m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:15 AM7:45 AM4:28 PM8h 43m
Mon, Feb 1, 20276:58 AM7:28 AM4:54 PM9h 26m

Computed for 48.489, -104.492 (MDT / 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
Muddy Creek WPA5.15.7 mi SWSheridan County
Johnson Lake WPA18211 mi SRoosevelt County
Berger Pond WPA1315 mi ESheridan County
Salter WPA32216 mi ESheridan County
Long Lake WPA21316 mi ESheridan County
Mallard Pond WPA16017 mi ESheridan County
Olson WPA1818 mi ESheridan County
Parry WPA55320 mi ESheridan County

Closest refuges & districts

Northeast Montana WMD

Sheridan County, MT · 1.9 mi E

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

12.1K huntable acres

Medicine Lake NWR

Sheridan County, MT · 6.2 mi E

3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🐦🕊️🐇🎣

22K huntable acres

Lake Zahl NWR

Williams County, ND · 39 mi E

1 special1 closed
🦌🐦

3.3K huntable acres

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