Waterfowl Production Area · Pierce County, North Dakota

Christenson Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 907 acres, Christenson Lake Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands 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.

907GIS acres
906deeded acres
Pierce Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Christenson 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 Pierce County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Christenson 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 Christenson Lake WPA

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Destination: Christenson Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
48.33525, -100.07754
DMS
48°20′06.9″N 100°04′39.1″W

Nearest towns

  • Rugby, ND4.7 mi SW of town
  • Bottineau, ND38 mi SE of town
  • Minot, ND57 mi E of town

Closest airports

  • MOT Minot Intl56 mi

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

Shooting hours at Christenson Lake WPA

Today at Christenson 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, 20266:26 AM6:56 AM8:24 PM13h 28m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:45 AM7:15 AM7:55 PM12h 40m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:07 AM7:37 AM7:21 PM11h 44m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:28 AM7:58 AM6:53 PM10h 56m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:54 AM7:24 AM5:23 PM9h 59m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:16 AM7:46 AM5:03 PM9h 17m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:39 AM8:09 AM4:49 PM8h 40m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:54 AM8:24 AM4:46 PM8h 22m
Fri, Jan 1, 20278:01 AM8:31 AM4:55 PM8h 24m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:56 AM8:26 AM5:11 PM8h 44m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:40 AM8:10 AM5:36 PM9h 27m

Computed for 48.335, -100.078 (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
Mitigation WPA116.1 mi EPierce County
Grove WPA736.1 mi SEPierce County
Rush Lake WPA6496.8 mi NWPierce County
Red Lake WPA1617.3 mi SPierce County
Torgerson Marsh WPA277.9 mi NEPierce County
Cruden WPA2388.2 mi NPierce County
Seil WPA2838.3 mi EPierce County
Reno Valley WPA798.7 mi SEPierce County

Closest refuges & districts

J. Clark Salyer NWR

McHenry County, ND · 33 mi NW

3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🐇🎣

58.9K huntable acres

J. Clark Salyer WMD

McHenry County, ND · 36 mi NW

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

34K huntable acres

Lake Alice NWR

Ramsey County, ND · 44 mi E

2 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

12.1K huntable acres

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