Waterfowl Production Area · Nelson County, North Dakota

McHugh Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

McHugh Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 396 acres located in Nelson County, North Dakota. It is managed by the Devils Lake Wetland Management District as part of the Nelson 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 →
396GIS acres
400deeded acres
Nelson Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

McHugh 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 Nelson County:KMLGPX

Hunting on McHugh 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 McHugh WPA

Navigate

Destination: McHugh Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
48.10091, -98.25339
DMS
48°06′03.3″N 98°15′12.2″W

Nearest towns

  • Devils Lake, ND28 mi E of town
  • Grand Forks, ND58 mi W of town
  • Carrington, ND61 mi NE of town

Closest airports

  • GFK Grand Forks Intl51 mi

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

Shooting hours at McHugh WPA

Today at McHugh 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, 20266:19 AM6:49 AM8:17 PM13h 28m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:38 AM7:08 AM7:48 PM12h 40m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:00 AM7:30 AM7:14 PM11h 44m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:20 AM7:50 AM6:46 PM10h 56m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:46 AM7:16 AM5:16 PM9h 60m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:08 AM7:38 AM4:56 PM9h 18m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:31 AM8:01 AM4:42 PM8h 41m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:46 AM8:16 AM4:39 PM8h 24m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:53 AM8:23 AM4:48 PM8h 26m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:48 AM8:18 AM5:04 PM8h 46m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:32 AM8:02 AM5:30 PM9h 28m

Computed for 48.101, -98.253 (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
Jacobson WPA503.3 mi NWNelson County
Dahl WPA793.8 mi ENelson County
Pelto WPA1273.8 mi NNelson County
Sahl WPA1536.3 mi NWNelson County
Sora WPA1618.1 mi WRamsey County
Erickson WPA1609.1 mi ENelson County
Miller WPA3539.2 mi WRamsey County
Toutges WPA1879.7 mi NEWalsh County

Closest refuges & districts

Devils Lake WMD

Ramsey County, ND · 28 mi W

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

52.7K huntable acres

White Horse Hill National Game Preserve

Benson County, ND · 34 mi W

1 closed
No hunting listed

Lake Alice NWR

Ramsey County, ND · 43 mi NW

2 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

12.1K huntable acres

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