Waterfowl Production Area · Nelson County, North Dakota

Pelto Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Pelto Waterfowl Production Area is a 127-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat 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.

127GIS acres
128deeded acres
Nelson Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Pelto 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 Pelto 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 Pelto WPA

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Destination: Pelto Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
48.15582, -98.26642
DMS
48°09′21.0″N 98°15′59.1″W

Nearest towns

  • Devils Lake, ND28 mi E of town
  • Grand Forks, ND59 mi W of town
  • Carrington, ND63 mi NE of town

Closest airports

  • GFK Grand Forks Intl52 mi

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

Shooting hours at Pelto WPA

Today at Pelto 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 23m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:53 AM8:23 AM4:48 PM8h 25m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:48 AM8:18 AM5:04 PM8h 46m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:32 AM8:02 AM5:30 PM9h 28m

Computed for 48.156, -98.266 (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
Jacobson WPA501.8 mi SWNelson County
Sahl WPA1533.6 mi WNelson County
McHugh WPA3963.8 mi SNelson County
Dahl WPA796.0 mi SENelson County
Toutges WPA1877.6 mi NEWalsh County
Sora WPA1617.8 mi WRamsey County
Eidsness WPA1608.0 mi WRamsey County
Miller WPA35310 mi SWRamsey 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 · 35 mi W

1 closed
No hunting listed

Lake Alice NWR

Ramsey County, ND · 41 mi W

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.