Features
Songbirds
Shell Lake's native prairie provides cover for a wide variety of breeding songbirds including Western Meadowlark and Baird's sparrow.
Waterfowl
In the fall, Shell Lake NWR provides optimal staging areas for migrating waterfowl.
Our Mission
December 15, 2014The US Fish and Wildlife Service's mission is, working with others, to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.
Learn MoreAbout the Complex
The Lostwood WMD Complex, located in Northwest North Dakota and northeast Montana, encompasses five ND and three MT counties. It is comprised of five National Wildlife Refuges and three WMD's.
Shell Lake is managed as part of the Lostwood Wetland Management District Complex.
Learn more about the complex About the NWRS
The National Wildlife Refuge System, within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, manages a national network of lands and waters set aside to conserve America’s fish, wildlife, and plants.
Learn more about the NWRS
Refuge News & Information
December 08, 2014The refuge includes Shell Lake, a 450 acre area of open water that provides excellent habitat for several species of waterfowl.
December 15, 2014Public use is restricted on Shell Lake National Wildlife Refuge to provide sanctuary for breeding and migratory birds. However, opportunities for wildlife viewing of large concentrations of migratory waterfowl exist from adjacent public roads.
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Commonly heard throughout the cattails of Shell Lake NWR, the Yellow-headed Blackbird makes the distinct sound of a rusty farm gate opening.
Page Photo Credits — All photos courtesy of USFWS unless otherwise noted.
Last Updated: Jan 21, 2015