Waterfowl Production Area · Pierce County, North Dakota

Needle Grass Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Needle Grass Waterfowl Production Area is a 40-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.

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

Needle Grass 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 Needle Grass 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 Needle Grass WPA

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Destination: Needle Grass Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
48.16105, -99.95327
DMS
48°09′39.8″N 99°57′11.8″W

Nearest towns

  • Rugby, ND15 mi S of town
  • Devils Lake, ND50 mi W of town
  • Bottineau, ND52 mi SE of town

Closest airports

  • MOT Minot Intl61 mi

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

Shooting hours at Needle Grass WPA

Today at Needle Grass 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, 20267:27 AM7:57 AM6:53 PM10h 56m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:53 AM7:23 AM5:23 PM9h 59m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:15 AM7:45 AM5:03 PM9h 18m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:38 AM8:08 AM4:49 PM8h 41m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:53 AM8:23 AM4:46 PM8h 23m
Fri, Jan 1, 20278:00 AM8:30 AM4:55 PM8h 25m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:55 AM8:25 AM5:11 PM8h 46m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:39 AM8:09 AM5:36 PM9h 28m

Computed for 48.161, -99.953 (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
Balta WPA2772.1 mi SWPierce County
Silva WPA402.5 mi NEPierce County
Schall WPA643.6 mi NWPierce County
Bluestem WPA803.6 mi NEPierce County
Sandhill Crane WPA2693.8 mi SEPierce County
Gross WPA1654.6 mi NWPierce County
Wildrose WPA405.0 mi EPierce County
Elverum WPA415.7 mi NWPierce County

Closest refuges & districts

Lake Alice NWR

Ramsey County, ND · 41 mi E

2 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

12.1K huntable acres

J. Clark Salyer NWR

McHenry County, ND · 45 mi NW

3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🐇🎣

58.9K huntable acres

White Horse Hill National Game Preserve

Benson County, ND · 47 mi E

1 closed
No hunting listed

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