Apple Creek Bottoms Wildlife Management Area: hunting, units and nearby land
Apple Creek Bottoms Wildlife Management Area is 1,081 acres of land managed by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, in Burleigh County. It lies in deer unit 3C. Within 5 miles of its boundary are 3,283 acres of other public land but no PLOTS land.
Data updated October 2026. Boundary and acres: NDGF map layers, 2026. Lottery: NDGF 2026.
NDGF wildlife management areaCorps of EngineersState trust landState park (rules vary)Apple Creek Bottoms WMACounty lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 1,081 acres (NDGF) |
|---|---|
| County | Burleigh |
| Deer units | Deer unit 3C |
| Deer licenses in unit 3C, 2026 | 800 (1,431 first-choice applicants) |
| PLOTS within 5 miles | 0 acres |
| Nearest towns | Lincoln (5 mi), Bismarck (7 mi) and Mandan (10 mi) |
Which hunting units is Apple Creek Bottoms WMA in?
Apple Creek Bottoms WMA lies in deer unit 3C. Each unit's 2026 lottery, for the whole unit, not the WMA alone:
| Unit | WMA acres in it | Licenses, 2026 | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 3C | 1,081 | 800 | 1,431 |
Lottery: NDGF deer lottery statistics. WMA acres in each unit measured by FilledTag from NDGF's boundaries.
What other hunting land is near Apple Creek Bottoms WMA?
Within 5 miles of the WMA's boundary, the maps NDGF publishes show no PLOTS land and 3,283 acres of other public land. Other wildlife management areas close by: Graner Bottoms WMA (3,478 acres in the ring), Kimball Bottoms WMA (2,877 acres in the ring), Schmidt Bottoms WMA (1,318 acres in the ring) and Little Heart Bottoms WMA (666 acres in the ring).
| Within 5 miles | Acres |
|---|---|
| NDGF wildlife management area | 8,356 |
| Corps of Engineers | 2,481 |
| State trust land | 802 |
| State park (rules vary) | 314 |
Measured by FilledTag from NDGF PLOTS Guide map layers (WMAs, PLOTS, trust land, federal land); acres outside North Dakota are not counted.
How do you get to Apple Creek Bottoms WMA?
Apple Creek Bottoms WMA is about 5 miles southwest of Lincoln, and 7 miles south of Bismarck. Highways within 8 miles: ND 1804 (20 miles of it), ND 1806 (19 miles of it), ND 6 (12 miles of it), ND 810 (11 miles of it) and I-194 (1 mile of it). NDGF's PLOTS Guide shows the WMA's parking areas and roads.
Questions hunters ask
How big is Apple Creek Bottoms WMA?
NDGF lists Apple Creek Bottoms WMA at 1,081 acres. FilledTag measured 1,081 acres from NDGF's boundary.
What county is Apple Creek Bottoms WMA in?
All of it is in Burleigh County.
Which hunting units is Apple Creek Bottoms WMA in?
Deer unit 3C, by NDGF's unit maps. A license is good only in the unit printed on it.
What is the closest town to Apple Creek Bottoms WMA?
Lincoln (5 miles), Bismarck (7 miles) and Mandan (10 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Boundary and acres: NDGF wildlife management areas. Land around it: NDGF PLOTS Guide map layers (WMAs, PLOTS, trust land, federal land).
- Units: NDGF hunting unit maps. Lottery: NDGF deer lottery statistics.
FilledTag is not part of the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. Posted rules at the area and NDGF's regulations are the final word.