National wildlife refuge

Shell Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Shell Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in Mountrail County, North Dakota run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It is closed to all public use: no one may land on or enter it.

Check current closures and fire restrictions for Shell Lake National Wildlife Refuge on the managing agency's own page.

Shell Lake National Wildlife Refuge map

Shell Lake National Wildlife Refuge boundary from USGS PAD-US or the managing agency, simplified for display. Not for navigation or legal boundaries.

View larger map Open in Google Maps Directions

Fire restrictions

This unit's own agency alerts list no fire restriction as of Oct. 5, 2026. We do not check a statewide fire-order feed for ND, so that is not a statement that no order exists, and not a green light for a fire. Check with the land manager and your county before you light anything.

Hours, fees, and visitor center

There is no entrance fee at Shell Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

What visitors do here: hunting, fishing.

Wildlife

  • BirdWaterfowl
  • BirdMigratory birds

Getting there

  • Nearest town: Palermo, 11.5 miles

Source: www2.census.gov, checked 2026-09-30.