Waterfowl Production Area · Grand Forks County, North Dakota

Pender Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Pender Waterfowl Production Area is a 859-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Grand Forks County, North Dakota. It is managed by the Devils Lake Wetland Management District as part of the Grand Forks 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 →
859GIS acres
864deeded acres
Grand Forks Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Pender 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 Grand Forks County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Pender 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 Pender WPA

Navigate

Destination: Pender Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
47.95122, -97.31444
DMS
47°57′04.4″N 97°18′52.0″W

Nearest towns

  • Grand Forks, ND13 mi W of town
  • Thief River Falls, MN54 mi W of town
  • Devils Lake, ND73 mi E of town

Closest airports

  • GFK Grand Forks Intl6.2 mi

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

Shooting hours at Pender WPA

Today at Pender 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, 20266:16 AM6:46 AM8:13 PM13h 27m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:34 AM7:04 AM7:44 PM12h 40m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:56 AM7:26 AM7:11 PM11h 45m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:16 AM7:46 AM6:43 PM10h 56m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:42 AM7:12 AM5:13 PM10h 00m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:04 AM7:34 AM4:53 PM9h 19m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:27 AM7:57 AM4:39 PM8h 43m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:41 AM8:11 AM4:36 PM8h 25m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:48 AM8:18 AM4:45 PM8h 27m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:44 AM8:14 AM5:01 PM8h 47m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:27 AM7:57 AM5:26 PM9h 29m

Computed for 47.951, -97.314 (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
Hart WPA1280.8 mi NEGrand Forks County
Nelson WPA1120.9 mi NEGrand Forks County
Clemetson WPA2081.6 mi EGrand Forks County
Mekinock WPA5601.8 mi NWGrand Forks County
Vold WPA801.9 mi NEGrand Forks County
Kellys Slough WPA7644.1 mi NEGrand Forks County
Turtle River WPA1,0194.9 mi NEGrand Forks County
Jeglum WPA5885.1 mi NEGrand Forks County

Closest refuges & districts

Kellys Slough NWR

Grand Forks County, ND · 2.4 mi NE

1 closed
No hunting listed

Glacial Ridge NWR

Polk County, MN · 50 mi E

2 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗

17.4K huntable acres

Rydell NWR

Polk County, MN · 60 mi E

2 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

1.8K huntable acres

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