Wildlife Management Area · Prairie Pothole Region · Prairie Pothole Region; 736-acre prairie slough complex just east of Bismarck
Approximate pin — a planning reference for the general area, not a trailhead or parking guarantee.
March to May spring migration (ibis and stilt window in April); fall waterfowl
Peak months in the record: Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct
Pick any day of the coming week for sunrise, sunset, the low-light windows and the forecast at McKenzie Slough WMA.
Roadside viewing off I-94 Exit 176 and section roads (223rd St SE is a known sub-hotspot); walk-in.
Free
Right off the interstate, so expect traffic noise; fall hunting; wet spring roads.
The notes on this page come from the guide's fixed records and can age. These links open what the managing agency publishes right now — always the last word on access.
North Dakota Game and Fish Department (Wildlife Management Area)
Agency pages are found by searching the place name, so the search may list nearby units too — no page here is a stored link to a specific trailhead or gate.
No access check recorded for this place yet. Once you have confirmed the current rules with ND Game and Fish, mark it here so you can see how fresh your information is.
This only records that you checked. It never changes the guide's access notes and is not a statement from any agency.
Nobody publishes an open fall-colour peak map, so these are the dates volunteers recorded coloured leaves in North Dakota — a handful of plants at a handful of sites, not a statewide peak. Use the official reports below for the wider picture.
Leaf-out and leaf-colour timing: USA National Phenology Network (usanpn.org).
Waterfowl
Tap for recent sightings, where to go and today's light →
Diving-duck rafts at first light on big lakes; watch for late-fall concentrations before freeze-up.
Illustration, not a field photograph · Real photos on All About Birds
Waterfowl
Tap for recent sightings, where to go and today's light →
Huge blue-bill rafts are a fall spectacle; shoreline vantage points at Devils Lake.
Illustration, not a field photograph · Real photos on All About Birds
Raptors
Tap for recent sightings, where to go and today's light →
The tailrace below Garrison Dam concentrates fishing eagles in late fall through winter; it is the single most reliable ND eagle photography site.
Illustration, not a field photograph · Real photos on All About Birds
Songbirds
Tap for recent sightings, where to go and today's light →
Dawn song posts on cattails; males sing with head thrown back. Get there at first light for the best poses and light.
Illustration, not a field photograph · Real photos on All About Birds
These are historical public posts collected as supporting evidence. They are not live sightings and do not guarantee current bird activity. Photos are not copied here — each entry links to the original post.
2026-07-13 — Yellow-headed Blackbird
Yellow-headed blackbird, juvenile calling in reeds
McKenzie Slough near Bismarck · McKenzie Slough WMA
Open source poston Facebook (opens in a new tab; older posts may have been removed by their author)