Waterfowl Production Area · Barnes County, North Dakota

Gilbertson Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 161 acres, Gilbertson Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Barnes County, North Dakota. It is managed by the Valley City Wetland Management District as part of the Barnes 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 Valley City WMD rules →
161GIS acres
160deeded acres
Barnes Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Gilbertson 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 Barnes County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Gilbertson WPA

What you can typically do

  • Hunt waterfowl, upland birds, deer and other game in season under North Dakota 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 Gilbertson WPA

Navigate

Destination: Gilbertson Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
46.70642, -97.87621
DMS
46°42′23.1″N 97°52′34.4″W

Nearest towns

  • Valley City, ND16 mi S of town
  • Jamestown, ND42 mi E of town
  • Fargo, ND53 mi W of town

Closest airports

  • FAR Fargo Hector Intl52 mi

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

Shooting hours at Gilbertson WPA

Today at Gilbertson 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, 20266:20 AM6:50 AM8:13 PM13h 24m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:37 AM7:07 AM7:45 PM12h 38m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:58 AM7:28 AM7:13 PM11h 45m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:17 AM7:47 AM6:46 PM10h 59m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:42 AM7:12 AM5:18 PM10h 06m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:03 AM7:33 AM4:59 PM9h 26m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:24 AM7:54 AM4:46 PM8h 52m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:39 AM8:09 AM4:44 PM8h 35m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:45 AM8:15 AM4:52 PM8h 37m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:42 AM8:12 AM5:08 PM8h 56m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:26 AM7:56 AM5:32 PM9h 36m

Computed for 46.706, -97.876 (CDT / 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
Storhoff WPA2924.2 mi SBarnes County
Peterson WPA2514.9 mi SEBarnes County
Fingal WPA2105.9 mi NEBarnes County
Blikre WPA3176.0 mi EBarnes County
Arneson WPA409.9 mi SWRansom County
Bilkre WPA10711 mi SWRansom County
Chose WPA2211 mi SWRansom County
Stoney Slough WPA1,26113 mi WBarnes County

Closest refuges & districts

Valley City WMD

Barnes County, ND · 19 mi N

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

19.7K huntable acres

Valley City NFH

Barnes County, ND · 19 mi N

1 closed
🎣

Arrowwood NWR

Stutsman County, ND · 54 mi NW

1 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇🎣

12.7K huntable acres

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