Waterfowl Production Area · Stutsman County, North Dakota

Rush Island Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Rush Island Lake Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 198 acres located in Stutsman County, North Dakota. It is managed by the Chase Lake Prairie Project Wetland Management District as part of the Stutsman 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 Chase Lake Prairie Project WMD rules →
198GIS acres
196deeded acres
Stutsman Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Rush Island 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 Stutsman County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Rush Island 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 Rush Island Lake WPA

Navigate

Destination: Rush Island Lake Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
46.96682, -98.49506
DMS
46°58′00.6″N 98°29′42.2″W

Nearest towns

  • Jamestown, ND11 mi E of town
  • Valley City, ND24 mi W of town
  • Carrington, ND45 mi SE of town

Closest airports

  • FAR Fargo Hector Intl79 mi

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

Shooting hours at Rush Island Lake WPA

Today at Rush Island 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, 20266:22 AM6:52 AM8:16 PM13h 24m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:40 AM7:10 AM7:48 PM12h 39m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:00 AM7:30 AM7:16 PM11h 45m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:20 AM7:50 AM6:48 PM10h 59m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:45 AM7:15 AM5:19 PM10h 05m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:06 AM7:36 AM5:01 PM9h 25m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:28 AM7:58 AM4:48 PM8h 50m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:42 AM8:12 AM4:45 PM8h 33m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:49 AM8:19 AM4:54 PM8h 35m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:45 AM8:15 AM5:09 PM8h 54m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:29 AM7:59 AM5:34 PM9h 35m

Computed for 46.967, -98.495 (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
McLain WPA2176.5 mi SEBarnes County
Klein WPA2057.2 mi NEBarnes County
Bowen WPA2107.2 mi SEBarnes County
Knudtson WPA2107.9 mi SEBarnes County
Kieley WPA498.2 mi SEBarnes County
Mansfield WPA1189.2 mi SEBarnes County
Dessenko WPA7111 mi SEBarnes County
Leegard WPA16011 mi NEBarnes County

Closest refuges & districts

Arrowwood NWR

Stutsman County, ND · 20 mi NW

1 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇🎣

12.7K huntable acres

Valley City NFH

Barnes County, ND · 22 mi E

1 closed
🎣

Valley City WMD

Barnes County, ND · 22 mi E

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

19.7K huntable acres

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