Lake Alice NWR
Ramsey County, ND · 43 mi E
!2 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣
12.1K huntable acres
Waterfowl Production Area · Pierce County, North Dakota
Balta Waterfowl Production Area
✓Public land (fee title)🥾Walk-in access
Balta Waterfowl Production Area is a 277-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Pierce County, North Dakota. It is managed by the J. Clark Salyer Wetland Management District as part of the Pierce 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.
277GIS acres
278deeded acres
Pierce Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi
Balta WPA satellite map
Gold outlines are fee-title Waterfowl Production Areas — public land. Everything outside is typically private; always look for boundary signs.
Loading interactive map…
Waterfowl Production Area (public)County lineRefuge / station
Tip: switch to Satellite or USGS Topo in the layer menu · click the map for GPS coordinates
Hunting on Balta 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 Balta WPA
Navigate
Destination: Balta Waterfowl Production Area
- Decimal
48.14663, -99.99353- DMS
48°08′47.9″N 99°59′36.7″W
Nearest towns
- Rugby, ND15 mi S of town
- Bottineau, ND52 mi SE of town
- Devils Lake, ND52 mi W of town
Closest airports
- MOT Minot Intl60 mi
Straight-line distances. Driving routes are longer; many refuge roads are gravel and may close seasonally.
Shooting hours at Balta WPA
Today at Balta 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
| Date | Shooting light | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, Sep 1, 2026 | 6:26 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:24 PM | 13h 28m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:45 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:55 PM | 12h 40m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 7:07 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:21 PM | 11h 44m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 7:27 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:53 PM | 10h 56m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:23 PM | 9h 60m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 7:15 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:03 PM | 9h 18m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 7:38 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:49 PM | 8h 41m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:53 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:46 PM | 8h 23m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 8:00 AM | 8:30 AM | 4:55 PM | 8h 25m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 7:55 AM | 8:25 AM | 5:11 PM | 8h 46m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 7:39 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:37 PM | 9h 28m |
Computed for 48.147, -99.994 (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
| WPA | Acres | Distance | County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Needle Grass WPA | 40 | 2.1 mi NE | Pierce County |
| Schall WPA | 64 | 3.8 mi N | Pierce County |
| Sandhill Crane WPA | 269 | 4.3 mi SE | Pierce County |
| Silva WPA | 40 | 4.3 mi NE | Pierce County |
| Gross WPA | 165 | 4.8 mi N | Pierce County |
| Elverum WPA | 41 | 4.9 mi NW | Pierce County |
| Kilgore Lake WPA | 515 | 5.5 mi W | Pierce County |
| Bluestem WPA | 80 | 5.7 mi NE | Pierce County |
Closest refuges & districts
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest), Pierce County Waterfowl Production Area. Acreage from GIS polygons; deeded acreage from realty records.