Waterfowl Production Area · Sheridan County, North Dakota

Heckers Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Heckers Lake Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 183 acres located in Sheridan County, North Dakota. It is managed by the Audubon Wetland Management District as part of the McLean 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 Audubon WMD rules →
183GIS acres
183deeded acres
Sheridan Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Heckers 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 Sheridan County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Heckers 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 Heckers Lake WPA

Navigate

Destination: Heckers Lake Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
47.33207, -100.67727
DMS
47°19′55.5″N 100°40′38.2″W

Nearest towns

  • Bismarck, ND36 mi N of town
  • Garrison, ND41 mi SE of town
  • Minot, ND68 mi SE of town

Closest airports

  • BIS Bismarck Municipal39 mi

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

Shooting hours at Heckers Lake WPA

Today at Heckers Lake WPA

Legal light*–
Sunrise–
Sunset–

*½ hour before sunrise — the standard federal shooting-hour start for migratory game birds. Times in Denver local time.

Full season calculator →

2026–2027 season sun table

DateShooting lightSunriseSunsetDaylight
Tue, Sep 1, 20265:30 AM6:00 AM7:25 PM13h 25m
Tue, Sep 15, 20265:48 AM6:18 AM6:57 PM12h 39m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:09 AM6:39 AM6:24 PM11h 45m
Thu, Oct 15, 20266:29 AM6:59 AM5:57 PM10h 58m
Sun, Nov 1, 20265:54 AM6:24 AM4:27 PM10h 03m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:16 AM6:46 AM4:08 PM9h 23m
Tue, Dec 1, 20266:38 AM7:08 AM3:55 PM8h 47m
Tue, Dec 15, 20266:52 AM7:22 AM3:52 PM8h 30m
Fri, Jan 1, 20276:59 AM7:29 AM4:01 PM8h 32m
Fri, Jan 15, 20276:55 AM7:25 AM4:17 PM8h 52m
Mon, Feb 1, 20276:39 AM7:09 AM4:42 PM9h 33m

Computed for 47.332, -100.677 (MDT / 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
East Park Lake WPA602.9 mi NWMcLean County
Oliver WPA1603.5 mi NESheridan County
East Lost Lake WPA7933.8 mi SBurleigh County
Koenig WPA3,4717.7 mi NWMcLean County
Gaub WPA2099.3 mi NMcLean County
Grayson WPA15910.0 mi ESheridan County
Johns Lake WPA33510 mi NESheridan County
Laib WPA10610 mi NWMcLean County

Closest refuges & districts

Florence Lake NWR

Burleigh County, ND · 17 mi E

1 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇

1.6K huntable acres

Lake Nettie NWR

McLean County, ND · 24 mi NW

1 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇

2.1K huntable acres

Audubon NWR

McLean County, ND · 29 mi NW

1 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇🎣

3.2K huntable acres

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