Walsh County, North Dakota: PLOTS, WMAs and public hunting land
Walsh County has 13,979 acres of PLOTS, private land open to walk-in hunting, inside its line (111 tracts centered in the county), 8 wildlife management areas with 2,214 acres, and 2,667 acres of other public land, by the 2026 maps NDGF publishes. Together that is 2.3% of the county's 828,136 acres.
Data updated October 2026. PLOTS, WMAs, trust land and federal land: NDGF map layers, 2026. Lottery: NDGF 2026.
NDGF wildlife management areaWaterfowl production areaNational wildlife refuge (rules vary)Corps of EngineersState trust landPLOTS (private land open to hunting)Walsh CountyNeighboring countiesLake or riverHighway
| Size | 828,136 acres (1,294 square miles) |
|---|---|
| PLOTS land inside the county line | 13,979 acres |
| PLOTS tracts centered in the county | 111 |
| Wildlife management areas | 8, 2,214 acres |
| Other public land | 2,667 acres |
| State trust land open to walk-in hunting | 160 acres (Trust Lands) |
| Deer units | Deer unit 2C |
| Towns | Grafton, Park River, Minto, Fordville and Adams |
How much PLOTS walk-in land is in Walsh County?
13,979 acres inside the county line, 1.7% of the county; 111 PLOTS tracts are centered in the county. PLOTS (Private Land Open To Sportsmen) is private land the owner has opened to walk-in hunting through NDGF. The NDGF PLOTS Guide map (2026) shows each tract.
Which wildlife management areas are in Walsh County?
8 WMAs, 2,214 acres in all, largest first:
- Joliet Ferry WMA: 978 acres
- Shirek WMA: 384 acres
- Charles C. Cook WMA: 328 acres
- South Walsh County WMB WMA: 180 acres
- Bosh WMA: 152 acres
- North Salt Lake WMA: 142 acres
- Mozinski WMA: 43 acres
- Kulwicki WMA: 7 acres
How much public land is in Walsh County?
0.6% of the county is public land: 4,881 acres, counting the WMAs. The largest share is NDGF wildlife management area, 2,214 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| PLOTS (private land open to hunting) | 13,979 | 1.7% |
| NDGF wildlife management area | 2,214 | 0.3% |
| Waterfowl production area | 1,786 | 0.2% |
| Corps of Engineers | 406 | under 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuge (rules vary) | 316 | under 0.1% |
| State trust land | 159 | under 0.1% |
State trust land by the access status the Department of Trust Lands gives each tract (the department's own acres): 160 acres open.
Measured by FilledTag inside the Census county line from NDGF PLOTS Guide map layers (WMAs, PLOTS, trust land, federal land); overlapping maps are counted once.
Which hunting units are in Walsh County?
Each unit's 2026 lottery, for the whole unit:
| Unit | Acres in the county | Share of the county | Licenses, 2026 | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 2C | 827,949 | 100% | 700 | 2,164 |
| Elk unit E1E | 827,949 | 100% | 116 | 4,365 |
Lottery: NDGF deer lottery statistics; NDGF pronghorn lottery statistics; NDGF elk lottery statistics.
How do you get around Walsh County?
Highways: ND 17 (about 56 miles in the county), I-29 (about 48 miles in the county), US 81 (about 26 miles in the county), ND 18 (about 24 miles in the county), ND 32 (about 24 miles in the county) and ND 35 (about 15 miles in the county). Towns: Grafton, Park River, Minto, Fordville, Adams, Hoople, Forest River, Ardoch and 7 more.
How do the counties around Walsh compare?
| County | PLOTS acres | PLOTS tracts | WMA acres | Other public acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cavalier | 12,034 | 71 | 8,837 | 13,360 |
| Grand Forks | 16,773 | 183 | 5,952 | 9,312 |
| Nelson | 29,416 | 158 | 2,181 | 6,264 |
| Pembina | 7,450 | 42 | 6,438 | 2,592 |
| Ramsey | 27,780 | 141 | 2,841 | 19,415 |
Questions hunters ask
How much PLOTS land is in Walsh County?
NDGF's 2026 PLOTS map shows 111 tracts centered in Walsh County, covering 13,979 acres inside the county line. PLOTS is private land the owner has opened to walk-in hunting; NDGF's PLOTS Guide shows each tract and its rules.
Are there wildlife management areas in Walsh County?
Yes, 8: Joliet Ferry (978 acres), Shirek (384 acres), Charles C. Cook (328 acres), South Walsh County WMB (180 acres), Bosh (152 acres) and North Salt Lake (142 acres), and 2 more.
Which deer units are in Walsh County?
Unit 2C (100% of the county), by NDGF's unit map.
Can you hunt state trust land in Walsh County?
Yes, where it is open. The Department of Trust Lands lists 160 acres as open in Walsh County, and none closed. Its map shows each tract's status.
Get a North Dakota hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for North Dakota are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, North Dakota included.
Where these numbers come from
- PLOTS, WMAs, trust land and federal land: NDGF PLOTS Guide map layers (WMAs, PLOTS, trust land, federal land); NDGF PLOTS Guide map (2026).
- Units and lottery: NDGF hunting unit maps; NDGF deer lottery statistics.
- County line, highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 boundaries, TIGER/Line and Gazetteer.
FilledTag is not part of the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. PLOTS tracts change each year; check NDGF's current PLOTS Guide before you go.
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