Waterfowl Production Area · Towner County, North Dakota

Big Coulee Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 437 acres, Big Coulee Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Towner County, North Dakota. It is managed by the Devils Lake Wetland Management District as part of the Towner 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 Devils Lake WMD rules →
437GIS acres
439deeded acres
Towner Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Big Coulee 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 Towner County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Big Coulee 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 Big Coulee WPA

Navigate

Destination: Big Coulee Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
48.52705, -99.19425
DMS
48°31′37.4″N 99°11′39.3″W

Nearest towns

  • Devils Lake, ND32 mi NW of town
  • Rugby, ND38 mi E of town
  • Bottineau, ND61 mi E of town

Closest airports

  • MOT Minot Intl97 mi

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

Shooting hours at Big Coulee WPA

Today at Big Coulee 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 AM8:21 PM13h 29m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:41 AM7:11 AM7:52 PM12h 40m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:04 AM7:34 AM7:18 PM11h 44m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:24 AM7:54 AM6:49 PM10h 55m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:51 AM7:21 AM5:19 PM9h 58m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:13 AM7:43 AM4:59 PM9h 16m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:37 AM8:07 AM4:45 PM8h 38m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:51 AM8:21 AM4:41 PM8h 20m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:58 AM8:28 AM4:50 PM8h 22m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:53 AM8:23 AM5:06 PM8h 43m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:37 AM8:07 AM5:32 PM9h 26m

Computed for 48.527, -99.194 (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
Freund WPA1511.0 mi NTowner County
Kahl WPA1533.6 mi WTowner County
Nikolaisen WPA2,6574.3 mi NTowner County
Johnson WPA2314.4 mi WTowner County
Halvorson WPA4704.8 mi NTowner County
Ballinger WPA1755.9 mi NETowner County
Brightbill WPA2006.0 mi NETowner County
Melvin WPA346.5 mi SWTowner County

Closest refuges & districts

Lake Alice NWR

Ramsey County, ND · 14 mi S

2 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

12.1K huntable acres

Devils Lake WMD

Ramsey County, ND · 32 mi SE

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

52.7K huntable acres

White Horse Hill National Game Preserve

Benson County, ND · 38 mi S

1 closed
No hunting listed

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