Waterfowl Production Area · McLean County, North Dakota

Turtle Lake I Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 534 acres, Turtle Lake I Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in McLean County, North Dakota. It is managed by the Audubon Wetland Management District as part of the McLean 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 Audubon WMD rules →
534GIS acres
547deeded acres
McLean Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Turtle Lake I 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 McLean County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Turtle Lake I 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 Turtle Lake I WPA

Navigate

Destination: Turtle Lake I Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
47.54863, -101.06943
DMS
47°32′55.1″N 101°04′09.9″W

Nearest towns

  • Garrison, ND18 mi SE of town
  • Minot, ND48 mi S of town
  • Bismarck, ND53 mi N of town

Closest airports

  • MOT Minot Intl50 mi

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

Shooting hours at Turtle Lake I WPA

Today at Turtle Lake I 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, 20266:31 AM7:01 AM8:27 PM13h 26m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:50 AM7:20 AM7:59 PM12h 39m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:11 AM7:41 AM7:26 PM11h 45m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:31 AM8:01 AM6:58 PM10h 57m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:56 AM7:26 AM5:28 PM10h 02m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:18 AM7:48 AM5:09 PM9h 22m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:40 AM8:10 AM4:56 PM8h 46m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:55 AM8:25 AM4:53 PM8h 28m
Fri, Jan 1, 20278:02 AM8:32 AM5:02 PM8h 30m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:57 AM8:27 AM5:17 PM8h 50m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:41 AM8:11 AM5:43 PM9h 31m

Computed for 47.549, -101.069 (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
Turtle Lake II WPA6742.1 mi EMcLean County
Turtle Lake III WPA6085.7 mi EMcLean County
Haas WPA4146.2 mi EMcLean County
Weishaar WPA3216.5 mi NMcLean County
Coal Coulee WPA4126.7 mi SMcLean County
Hass Wda WPA2736.8 mi NMcLean County
Turtle Creek II WPA908.3 mi SEMcLean County
Turtle Creek III WPA1389.7 mi SEMcLean County

Closest refuges & districts

Audubon NWR

McLean County, ND · 5.2 mi NW

1 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇🎣

3.2K huntable acres

Lake Nettie NWR

McLean County, ND · 5.6 mi NE

1 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇

2.1K huntable acres

Audubon WMD

McLean County, ND · 8.5 mi W

1 open1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

26.2K huntable acres

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