Waterfowl Production Area · Nelson County, North Dakota

Tuftland Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Tuftland Lake Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 158 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 →
158GIS acres
163deeded acres
Nelson Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Tuftland 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 Tuftland 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 Tuftland Lake WPA

Navigate

Destination: Tuftland Lake Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
47.69781, -98.37097
DMS
47°41′52.1″N 98°22′15.5″W

Nearest towns

  • Devils Lake, ND37 mi SE of town
  • Carrington, ND39 mi NE of town
  • Valley City, ND56 mi N of town

Closest airports

  • GFK Grand Forks Intl58 mi

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

Shooting hours at Tuftland Lake WPA

Today at Tuftland 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 26m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:39 AM7:09 AM7:48 PM12h 39m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:00 AM7:30 AM7:15 PM11h 45m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:20 AM7:50 AM6:47 PM10h 57m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:46 AM7:16 AM5:17 PM10h 02m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:08 AM7:38 AM4:58 PM9h 21m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:30 AM8:00 AM4:44 PM8h 44m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:44 AM8:14 AM4:42 PM8h 27m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:51 AM8:21 AM4:50 PM8h 29m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:47 AM8:17 AM5:06 PM8h 49m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:31 AM8:01 AM5:31 PM9h 31m

Computed for 47.698, -98.371 (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
Quam WPA791.0 mi NNelson County
Basswood Lake WPA1601.6 mi SGriggs County
Hanson WPA801.8 mi NENelson County
Rix WPA402.5 mi SGriggs County
Graving WPA1182.7 mi SEGriggs County
Tande WPA808.1 mi SEGriggs County
Delfs WPA609.2 mi SGriggs County
Haven WPA6539.6 mi WEddy County

Closest refuges & districts

White Horse Hill National Game Preserve

Benson County, ND · 34 mi NW

1 closed
No hunting listed

Devils Lake WMD

Ramsey County, ND · 37 mi NW

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

52.7K huntable acres

Arrowwood WMD

Stutsman County, ND · 37 mi SW

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

6.3K huntable acres

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