Waterfowl Production Area · Burke County, North Dakota

Swanson Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Swanson Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 156 acres located in Burke County, North Dakota. It is managed by the Crosby Wetland Management District as part of the Burke 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.

156GIS acres
158deeded acres
Burke Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Swanson 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 Burke County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Swanson 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 Swanson WPA

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Destination: Swanson Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
48.68807, -102.65085
DMS
48°41′17.1″N 102°39′03.1″W

Nearest towns

  • Kenmare, ND26 mi W of town
  • Crosby, ND33 mi SE of town
  • Williston, ND58 mi NE of town

Closest airports

  • MOT Minot Intl69 mi

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

Shooting hours at Swanson WPA

Today at Swanson 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, 20266:36 AM7:06 AM8:35 PM13h 29m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:55 AM7:25 AM8:06 PM12h 41m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:18 AM7:48 AM7:32 PM11h 44m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:38 AM8:08 AM7:03 PM10h 55m
Sun, Nov 1, 20267:05 AM7:35 AM5:32 PM9h 57m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:28 AM7:58 AM5:12 PM9h 15m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:51 AM8:21 AM4:58 PM8h 37m
Tue, Dec 15, 20268:06 AM8:36 AM4:55 PM8h 19m
Fri, Jan 1, 20278:13 AM8:43 AM5:03 PM8h 21m
Fri, Jan 15, 20278:08 AM8:38 AM5:20 PM8h 42m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:51 AM8:21 AM5:46 PM9h 25m

Computed for 48.688, -102.651 (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
Grubb WPA1602.3 mi EBurke County
Maruskie WPA665.1 mi WBurke County
Jesson WPA1615.9 mi SEBurke County
Powers Lake WPA4978.3 mi SBurke County
Godejahn WPA1018.6 mi EBurke County
Breding WPA1258.8 mi SBurke County
Beaver Lake WPA1,43412 mi NBurke County
Sorenson WPA2612 mi SEMountrail County

Closest refuges & districts

Lostwood NWR

Burke County, ND · 11 mi SE

1 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇

26.2K huntable acres

Lostwood WMD

Burke County, ND · 12 mi E

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

11K huntable acres

Des Lacs NWR

Burke County, ND · 30 mi NE

3 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇

14K huntable acres

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