Waterfowl Production Area · Benson County, North Dakota

Mattson Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Mattson Waterfowl Production Area is a 61-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Benson County, North Dakota. It is managed by the Devils Lake Wetland Management District as part of the Benson 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 Devils Lake WMD rules →
61GIS acres
63deeded acres
Benson Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Mattson 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 Benson County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Mattson 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 Mattson WPA

Navigate

Destination: Mattson Waterfowl Production Area

Google Maps Apple Maps Waze
Decimal
47.89957, -99.67910
DMS
47°53′58.5″N 99°40′44.8″W

Nearest towns

  • Rugby, ND36 mi SE of town
  • Devils Lake, ND40 mi W of town
  • Carrington, ND40 mi NW of town

Closest airports

  • MOT Minot Intl78 mi

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

Shooting hours at Mattson WPA

Today at Mattson 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, 20266:25 AM6:55 AM8:22 PM13h 27m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:44 AM7:14 AM7:53 PM12h 40m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:05 AM7:35 AM7:20 PM11h 45m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:26 AM7:56 AM6:52 PM10h 57m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:52 AM7:22 AM5:22 PM10h 01m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:13 AM7:43 AM5:03 PM9h 19m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:36 AM8:06 AM4:49 PM8h 43m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:51 AM8:21 AM4:46 PM8h 25m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:57 AM8:27 AM4:55 PM8h 27m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:53 AM8:23 AM5:11 PM8h 48m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:37 AM8:07 AM5:36 PM9h 29m

Computed for 47.900, -99.679 (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
Lake Legreid WPA1522.8 mi NEBenson County
Benson WPA784.9 mi NEBenson County
Lake Seventeen WPA1586.2 mi NBenson County
Buffalo Lake WPA109.2 mi NWPierce County
Esmond WPA4013 mi NBenson County
Frost WPA8313 mi SWWells County
Melass WPA24114 mi NEBenson County
Ambers WPA16114 mi SEWells County

Closest refuges & districts

White Horse Hill National Game Preserve

Benson County, ND · 33 mi E

1 closed
No hunting listed

Lake Alice NWR

Ramsey County, ND · 40 mi NE

2 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

12.1K huntable acres

Devils Lake WMD

Ramsey County, ND · 40 mi E

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

52.7K huntable acres

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