Waterfowl Production Area · Barnes County, North Dakota

Key Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 134 acres, Key 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 →
134GIS acres
128deeded acres
Barnes Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Key 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 Key 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 Key WPA

Navigate

Destination: Key Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
47.14330, -98.19615
DMS
47°08′35.9″N 98°11′46.1″W

Nearest towns

  • Valley City, ND18 mi NW of town
  • Jamestown, ND29 mi NE of town
  • Carrington, ND49 mi SE of town

Closest airports

  • FAR Fargo Hector Intl67 mi

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

Shooting hours at Key WPA

Today at Key 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 AM8:15 PM13h 25m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:38 AM7:08 AM7:47 PM12h 39m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:59 AM7:29 AM7:14 PM11h 45m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:19 AM7:49 AM6:47 PM10h 58m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:44 AM7:14 AM5:18 PM10h 04m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:05 AM7:35 AM4:59 PM9h 24m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:27 AM7:57 AM4:46 PM8h 49m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:42 AM8:12 AM4:43 PM8h 32m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:48 AM8:18 AM4:52 PM8h 33m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:44 AM8:14 AM5:07 PM8h 53m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:29 AM7:59 AM5:32 PM9h 34m

Computed for 47.143, -98.196 (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
Tolstad WPA1603.7 mi SWBarnes County
Ohnstad WPA825.3 mi NWBarnes County
West Hagglund WPA337.0 mi NWBarnes County
Mosher WPA2157.3 mi NEBarnes County
Wogsland WPA2427.6 mi NGriggs County
Leegard WPA1608.3 mi SWBarnes County
Walum WPA3408.5 mi NGriggs County
Ernie WPA1609.1 mi WBarnes County

Closest refuges & districts

Valley City NFH

Barnes County, ND · 15 mi SE

1 closed
🎣

Valley City WMD

Barnes County, ND · 15 mi SE

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

19.7K huntable acres

Arrowwood NWR

Stutsman County, ND · 28 mi W

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.