Waterfowl Production Area · Richland County, North Dakota

Smith Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Smith Waterfowl Production Area is a 213-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Richland County, North Dakota. It is managed by the Tewaukon Wetland Management District as part of the Richland 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.

213GIS acres
213deeded acres
Richland Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Smith 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 Richland County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Smith 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 Smith WPA

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Destination: Smith Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
46.02485, -97.16891
DMS
46°01′29.5″N 97°10′08.1″W

Nearest towns

  • Wahpeton, ND32 mi SW of town
  • Fergus Falls, MN55 mi W of town
  • Moorhead, MN61 mi S of town

Closest airports

  • FAR Fargo Hector Intl64 mi

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

Shooting hours at Smith WPA

Today at Smith 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, 20266:18 AM6:48 AM8:09 PM13h 22m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:35 AM7:05 AM7:42 PM12h 37m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:55 AM7:25 AM7:11 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:13 AM7:43 AM6:44 PM11h 01m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:37 AM7:07 AM5:16 PM10h 09m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:58 AM7:28 AM4:58 PM9h 30m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:19 AM7:49 AM4:46 PM8h 57m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:33 AM8:03 AM4:43 PM8h 40m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:40 AM8:10 AM4:52 PM8h 42m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:36 AM8:06 AM5:07 PM9h 01m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:22 AM7:52 AM5:31 PM9h 40m

Computed for 46.025, -97.169 (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
Boehning WPA972.1 mi NERichland County
Novetzke WPA603.4 mi NERichland County
Kuehn WPA3173.4 mi ERichland County
Wollitz WPA5113.7 mi SRichland County
Leack WPA514.3 mi ERichland County
Heger WPA5.64.9 mi SERichland County
Nechas WPA2375.0 mi SERichland County
Leack-Schuler WPA2375.2 mi ERichland County

Closest refuges & districts

Tewaukon WMD

Sargent County, ND · 9.9 mi W

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

16K huntable acres

Tewaukon NWR

Sargent County, ND · 11 mi W

3 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇🎣

6.9K huntable acres

Waubay WMD

Day County, SD · 42 mi S

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

41.1K huntable acres

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