Waterfowl Production Area · Wells County, North Dakota

Crystal Lake Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Crystal Lake Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 639 acres located 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 →
639GIS acres
643deeded acres
Wells Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Crystal 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 Wells County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Crystal 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 Crystal Lake WPA

Navigate

Destination: Crystal Lake Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
47.58821, -99.97477
DMS
47°35′17.6″N 99°58′29.2″W

Nearest towns

  • Carrington, ND41 mi W of town
  • Rugby, ND54 mi S of town
  • Devils Lake, ND63 mi SW of town

Closest airports

  • BIS Bismarck Municipal67 mi

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

Shooting hours at Crystal Lake WPA

Today at Crystal 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, 20266:27 AM6:57 AM8:23 PM13h 26m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:45 AM7:15 AM7:54 PM12h 39m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:07 AM7:37 AM7:21 PM11h 45m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:26 AM7:56 AM6:54 PM10h 57m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:52 AM7:22 AM5:24 PM10h 02m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:14 AM7:44 AM5:05 PM9h 21m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:36 AM8:06 AM4:51 PM8h 45m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:50 AM8:20 AM4:48 PM8h 28m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:57 AM8:27 AM4:57 PM8h 30m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:53 AM8:23 AM5:13 PM8h 50m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:37 AM8:07 AM5:38 PM9h 31m

Computed for 47.588, -99.975 (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
Faul WPA3242.6 mi SWells County
Weber WPA1482.6 mi WWells County
Indian Hills WPA1,3923.8 mi SWWells County
Indian Hills WPA3214.6 mi SWSheridan County
Fritchie WPA1617.9 mi SWells County
Bull Moose WPA708.3 mi SWells County
Pony Gulch WPA2408.8 mi NWWells County
Radtke WPA1539.0 mi SWells County

Closest refuges & districts

Florence Lake NWR

Burleigh County, ND · 26 mi SW

1 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇

1.6K huntable acres

Chase Lake Prairie Project WMD

Stutsman County, ND · 46 mi SE

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

40K huntable acres

Chase Lake NWR

Stutsman County, ND · 47 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.