Waterfowl Production Area · Benson County, North Dakota

Olson Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Olson Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 79 acres located 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 →
79GIS acres
80deeded acres
Benson Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Olson 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 Olson 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 Olson WPA

Navigate

Destination: Olson Waterfowl Production Area

Google Maps Apple Maps Waze
Decimal
48.25692, -99.73705
DMS
48°15′24.9″N 99°44′13.4″W

Nearest towns

  • Rugby, ND14 mi SE of town
  • Devils Lake, ND41 mi W of town
  • Bottineau, ND51 mi SE of town

Closest airports

  • MOT Minot Intl71 mi

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

Shooting hours at Olson WPA

Today at Olson 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 AM8:23 PM13h 28m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:44 AM7:14 AM7:54 PM12h 40m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:06 AM7:36 AM7:20 PM11h 44m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:26 AM7:56 AM6:52 PM10h 56m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:53 AM7:23 AM5:22 PM9h 59m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:15 AM7:45 AM5:02 PM9h 17m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:38 AM8:08 AM4:48 PM8h 40m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:52 AM8:22 AM4:45 PM8h 22m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:59 AM8:29 AM4:54 PM8h 24m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:55 AM8:25 AM5:10 PM8h 45m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:38 AM8:08 AM5:35 PM9h 27m

Computed for 48.257, -99.737 (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
Ida WPA391.8 mi NEBenson County
Round Lake WPA121.9 mi SEBenson County
Volk WPA1772.0 mi EBenson County
Peterson WPA2432.0 mi SBenson County
Long Lake WPA582.2 mi WBenson County
Carr WPA1192.7 mi NEBenson County
Knox WPA1613.4 mi NEBenson County
Jorgenson WPA223.6 mi NWBenson County

Closest refuges & districts

Lake Alice NWR

Ramsey County, ND · 29 mi E

2 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

12.1K huntable acres

White Horse Hill National Game Preserve

Benson County, ND · 40 mi SE

1 closed
No hunting listed

Devils Lake WMD

Ramsey County, ND · 41 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.