Waterfowl Production Area · Walsh County, North Dakota

Forest River Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Forest River Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 278 acres located in Walsh County, North Dakota. It is managed by the Devils Lake Wetland Management District as part of the Walsh 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 →
278GIS acres
279deeded acres
Walsh Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Forest River 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 Walsh County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Forest River 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 Forest River WPA

Navigate

Destination: Forest River Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
48.25860, -97.28389
DMS
48°15′31.0″N 97°17′02.0″W

Nearest towns

  • Grand Forks, ND26 mi NW of town
  • Thief River Falls, MN52 mi W of town
  • Devils Lake, ND74 mi E of town

Closest airports

  • GFK Grand Forks Intl22 mi

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

Shooting hours at Forest River WPA

Today at Forest River 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, 20266:15 AM6:45 AM8:13 PM13h 28m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:34 AM7:04 AM7:44 PM12h 40m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:56 AM7:26 AM7:10 PM11h 44m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:16 AM7:46 AM6:42 PM10h 56m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:43 AM7:13 AM5:12 PM9h 59m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:05 AM7:35 AM4:52 PM9h 17m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:28 AM7:58 AM4:38 PM8h 40m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:42 AM8:12 AM4:35 PM8h 22m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:49 AM8:19 AM4:44 PM8h 24m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:45 AM8:15 AM5:00 PM8h 45m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:28 AM7:58 AM5:25 PM9h 27m

Computed for 48.259, -97.284 (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
Stewart Lake WPA1,49114 mi SGrand Forks County
Turtle River WPA1,01917 mi SGrand Forks County
Amundson WPA26417 mi SGrand Forks County
Jeglum WPA58818 mi SGrand Forks County
Kellys Slough WPA76419 mi SGrand Forks County
Vold WPA8020 mi SGrand Forks County
Mekinock WPA56020 mi SGrand Forks County
Nelson WPA11221 mi SGrand Forks County

Closest refuges & districts

Kellys Slough NWR

Grand Forks County, ND · 20 mi S

1 closed
No hunting listed

Glacial Ridge NWR

Polk County, MN · 59 mi SE

2 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗

17.4K huntable acres

Agassiz NWR

Marshall County, MN · 62 mi E

3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗

58K huntable acres

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