Waterfowl Production Area · Wells County, North Dakota

Carson Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 547 acres, Carson Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Wells County, North Dakota. It is managed by the Chase Lake Prairie Project Wetland Management District as part of the Wells 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 →
547GIS acres
537deeded acres
Wells Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Carson 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 Wells County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Carson 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 Carson WPA

Navigate

Destination: Carson Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
47.43588, -99.84662
DMS
47°26′09.2″N 99°50′47.8″W

Nearest towns

  • Carrington, ND34 mi W of town
  • Bismarck, ND62 mi NE of town
  • Jamestown, ND65 mi NW of town

Closest airports

  • BIS Bismarck Municipal63 mi

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

Shooting hours at Carson WPA

Today at Carson 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, 20266:26 AM6:56 AM8:22 PM13h 26m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:45 AM7:15 AM7:54 PM12h 39m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:06 AM7:36 AM7:21 PM11h 45m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:26 AM7:56 AM6:53 PM10h 58m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:51 AM7:21 AM5:24 PM10h 03m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:13 AM7:43 AM5:05 PM9h 22m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:35 AM8:05 AM4:51 PM8h 46m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:49 AM8:19 AM4:49 PM8h 29m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:56 AM8:26 AM4:57 PM8h 31m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:52 AM8:22 AM5:13 PM8h 51m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:36 AM8:06 AM5:38 PM9h 32m

Computed for 47.436, -99.847 (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
Bibow WPA6391.0 mi SWells County
Chaseley WPA431.3 mi NWells County
Heeren WPA1541.5 mi NWells County
Weatherly WPA1604.0 mi SWells County
Bull Moose WPA704.2 mi NWWells County
Silver Lake WPA3214.7 mi SEWells County
Foley WPA3155.0 mi SWWells County
Hart WPA1605.3 mi SWells County

Closest refuges & districts

Florence Lake NWR

Burleigh County, ND · 24 mi SW

1 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇

1.6K huntable acres

Chase Lake Prairie Project WMD

Stutsman County, ND · 35 mi SE

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

40K huntable acres

Chase Lake NWR

Stutsman County, ND · 35 mi SE

1 special
🦌

4.4K huntable acres

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