Waterfowl Production Area · Sheridan County, Montana

Melby Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Melby Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 20 acres located 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 →
20GIS acres
20deeded acres
Sheridan Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Melby 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 Sheridan County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Melby 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 Melby WPA

Navigate

Destination: Melby Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
48.64101, -104.08237
DMS
48°38′27.6″N 104°04′56.5″W

Nearest towns

  • Plentywood, MT24 mi E of town
  • Williston, ND40 mi NW of town
  • Crosby, ND41 mi SW of town

Closest airports

  • MOT Minot Intl131 mi

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

Shooting hours at Melby WPA

Today at Melby 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, 20265:42 AM6:12 AM7:41 PM13h 29m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:01 AM6:31 AM7:11 PM12h 41m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:23 AM6:53 AM6:37 PM11h 44m
Thu, Oct 15, 20266:44 AM7:14 AM6:09 PM10h 55m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:11 AM6:41 AM4:38 PM9h 57m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:33 AM7:03 AM4:18 PM9h 15m
Tue, Dec 1, 20266:57 AM7:27 AM4:04 PM8h 37m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:11 AM7:41 AM4:00 PM8h 19m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:18 AM7:48 AM4:09 PM8h 21m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:13 AM7:43 AM4:25 PM8h 42m
Mon, Feb 1, 20276:56 AM7:26 AM4:52 PM9h 25m

Computed for 48.641, -104.082 (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
Thuesen WPA1193.2 mi NEDivide County
Erickson WPA1,1603.6 mi SSheridan County
Parry WPA5533.9 mi SSheridan County
Olson WPA184.4 mi SWSheridan County
Mallard Pond WPA1605.3 mi SWSheridan County
Big Slough WPA1,0065.7 mi NSheridan County
Salter WPA3226.2 mi SWSheridan County
Quam WPA1236.5 mi NEDivide County

Closest refuges & districts

Medicine Lake NWR

Sheridan County, MT · 18 mi SW

3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🐦🕊️🐇🎣

22K huntable acres

Northeast Montana WMD

Sheridan County, MT · 20 mi SW

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

12.1K huntable acres

Lake Zahl NWR

Williams County, ND · 20 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.