Waterfowl Production Area · Barnes County, North Dakota

Sanborn Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Sanborn Lake Waterfowl Production Area is a 3.5-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat 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 →
3.5GIS acres
1.3deeded acres
Barnes Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Sanborn 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 Barnes County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Sanborn Lake 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 Sanborn Lake WPA

Navigate

Destination: Sanborn Lake Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
46.94903, -98.18457
DMS
46°56′56.5″N 98°11′04.5″W

Nearest towns

  • Valley City, ND8.9 mi W of town
  • Jamestown, ND25 mi E of town
  • Carrington, ND56 mi SE of town

Closest airports

  • FAR Fargo Hector Intl64 mi

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

Shooting hours at Sanborn Lake WPA

Today at Sanborn Lake 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 24m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:38 AM7:08 AM7:47 PM12h 38m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:59 AM7:29 AM7:14 PM11h 45m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:18 AM7:48 AM6:47 PM10h 59m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:43 AM7:13 AM5:18 PM10h 05m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:05 AM7:35 AM5:00 PM9h 25m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:27 AM7:57 AM4:46 PM8h 50m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:41 AM8:11 AM4:44 PM8h 33m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:48 AM8:18 AM4:53 PM8h 35m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:44 AM8:14 AM5:08 PM8h 54m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:28 AM7:58 AM5:33 PM9h 35m

Computed for 46.949, -98.185 (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
Sanborn WPA1491.1 mi SWBarnes County
Bartz WPA801.4 mi NBarnes County
Olson WPA871.7 mi SBarnes County
Dahl WPA352.8 mi SBarnes County
Stroh WPA133.5 mi SWBarnes County
Lovaas WPA556.8 mi SEBarnes County
Lettenmaier WPA1657.1 mi SWBarnes County
Leegard WPA1607.2 mi NWBarnes County

Closest refuges & districts

Valley City NFH

Barnes County, ND · 7.5 mi E

1 closed
🎣

Valley City WMD

Barnes County, ND · 7.7 mi E

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

19.7K huntable acres

Arrowwood NWR

Stutsman County, ND · 32 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.