Waterfowl Production Area · Cavalier County, North Dakota

Atchison Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 80 acres, Atchison Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Cavalier County, North Dakota. It is managed by the Devils Lake Wetland Management District as part of the Cavalier 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.

80GIS acres
80deeded acres
Cavalier Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Atchison 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 Cavalier County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Atchison 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 Atchison WPA

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Destination: Atchison Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
48.88815, -98.78395
DMS
48°53′17.3″N 98°47′02.2″W

Nearest towns

  • Devils Lake, ND54 mi N of town
  • Rugby, ND66 mi NE of town
  • Bottineau, ND76 mi E of town

Closest airports

  • GFK Grand Forks Intl98 mi

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

Shooting hours at Atchison WPA

Today at Atchison 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 AM8:20 PM13h 30m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:40 AM7:10 AM7:50 PM12h 41m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:02 AM7:32 AM7:16 PM11h 44m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:23 AM7:53 AM6:47 PM10h 54m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:50 AM7:20 AM5:16 PM9h 56m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:13 AM7:43 AM4:56 PM9h 13m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:36 AM8:06 AM4:42 PM8h 35m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:51 AM8:21 AM4:38 PM8h 17m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:58 AM8:28 AM4:47 PM8h 19m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:53 AM8:23 AM5:03 PM8h 40m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:36 AM8:06 AM5:30 PM9h 24m

Computed for 48.888, -98.784 (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
Rosenberg WPA1703.0 mi NCavalier County
Romfo WPA1633.2 mi NCavalier County
Emmet WPA455.0 mi NWCavalier County
McDonald Slough WPA8085.6 mi NWCavalier County
Wales WPA727.6 mi SECavalier County
Oscar WPA3088.8 mi SCavalier County
Hamline WPA1599.6 mi ECavalier County
Mulberry Creek WPA1649.8 mi ECavalier County

Closest refuges & districts

Lake Alice NWR

Ramsey County, ND · 41 mi S

2 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

12.1K huntable acres

Devils Lake WMD

Ramsey County, ND · 54 mi S

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

52.7K huntable acres

White Horse Hill National Game Preserve

Benson County, ND · 63 mi S

1 closed
No hunting listed

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