Waterfowl Production Area · Nelson County, North Dakota

Rose Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 127 acres, Rose Lake Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands 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 →
127GIS acres
134deeded acres
Nelson Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Rose 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 Nelson County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Rose 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 Rose Lake WPA

Navigate

Destination: Rose Lake Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
47.99477, -98.45445
DMS
47°59′41.2″N 98°27′16.0″W

Nearest towns

  • Devils Lake, ND21 mi E of town
  • Carrington, ND49 mi NE of town
  • Grand Forks, ND66 mi W of town

Closest airports

  • GFK Grand Forks Intl59 mi

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

Shooting hours at Rose Lake WPA

Today at Rose 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, 20266:20 AM6:50 AM8:17 PM13h 27m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:39 AM7:09 AM7:49 PM12h 40m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:01 AM7:31 AM7:15 PM11h 44m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:21 AM7:51 AM6:47 PM10h 56m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:47 AM7:17 AM5:17 PM10h 00m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:09 AM7:39 AM4:58 PM9h 19m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:32 AM8:02 AM4:44 PM8h 42m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:46 AM8:16 AM4:41 PM8h 25m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:53 AM8:23 AM4:49 PM8h 27m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:49 AM8:19 AM5:05 PM8h 47m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:32 AM8:02 AM5:31 PM9h 29m

Computed for 47.995, -98.454 (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
Goldhammer WPA392.8 mi SENelson County
Triangle WPA5.72.9 mi NRamsey County
Stautz WPA2393.1 mi NWRamsey County
Leith WPA1124.4 mi NRamsey County
Miller WPA3535.6 mi NRamsey County
Doyon WPA396.2 mi NWRamsey County
Lost Island WPA3566.8 mi SWRamsey County
Gunder WPA2027.7 mi NWRamsey County

Closest refuges & districts

Devils Lake WMD

Ramsey County, ND · 21 mi NW

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

52.7K huntable acres

White Horse Hill National Game Preserve

Benson County, ND · 24 mi W

1 closed
No hunting listed

Lake Alice NWR

Ramsey County, ND · 38 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.