Waterfowl Production Area · McHenry County, North Dakota

Cottonwood Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Cottonwood Lake Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 441 acres located in McHenry County, North Dakota. It is managed by the J. Clark Salyer Wetland Management District as part of the McHenry 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 J. Clark Salyer WMD rules →
441GIS acres
440deeded acres
McHenry Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Cottonwood Lake 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 McHenry County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Cottonwood Lake 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 Cottonwood Lake WPA

Navigate

Destination: Cottonwood Lake Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
47.91122, -100.67116
DMS
47°54′40.4″N 100°40′16.2″W

Nearest towns

  • Minot, ND36 mi SE of town
  • Garrison, ND39 mi NE of town
  • Rugby, ND45 mi SW of town

Closest airports

  • MOT Minot Intl37 mi

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

Shooting hours at Cottonwood Lake WPA

Today at Cottonwood Lake 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, 20266:29 AM6:59 AM8:26 PM13h 27m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:48 AM7:18 AM7:57 PM12h 40m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:09 AM7:39 AM7:24 PM11h 45m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:30 AM8:00 AM6:56 PM10h 57m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:56 AM7:26 AM5:26 PM10h 01m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:17 AM7:47 AM5:07 PM9h 19m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:40 AM8:10 AM4:53 PM8h 43m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:55 AM8:25 AM4:50 PM8h 25m
Fri, Jan 1, 20278:01 AM8:31 AM4:59 PM8h 27m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:57 AM8:27 AM5:15 PM8h 47m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:41 AM8:11 AM5:40 PM9h 29m

Computed for 47.911, -100.671 (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
Spichke WPA3583.9 mi SEMcHenry County
Connia Slough WPA4684.5 mi NMcHenry County
Wintering River WPA1984.8 mi WMcHenry County
Eidem-Gustafson WPA5275.5 mi NMcHenry County
Knutson WPA575.6 mi WMcHenry County
Ziech WPA706.4 mi NWMcHenry County
Strassburg WPA408.9 mi SESheridan County
Dossenko-Bloneke WPA4799.0 mi SMcLean County

Closest refuges & districts

Lake Nettie NWR

McLean County, ND · 26 mi SW

1 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇

2.1K huntable acres

Audubon NWR

McLean County, ND · 32 mi SW

1 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇🎣

3.2K huntable acres

Audubon WMD

McLean County, ND · 35 mi SW

1 open1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

26.2K huntable acres

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