Shell Lake National Wildlife Refuge

About Us

The Refuge was set aside primarily for nesting and breeding migratory waterfowl, but also serves as a haven for resident wildlife populations. The Refuge is comprised of open water, wetlands, and uplands of both native prairie and introduced grasses.  In many years, especially in the fall, Shell Lake is the only wetland in the immediate area that provides a critical resting area for migratory waterfowl. Beyond waterfowl, this Refuge is used by a variety of species including breeding songbirds such as the LeConte’s sparrow, Baird’s sparrow, and Sprague’s pipit as well as other wildlife species such as the red fox, coyote, white-tailed deer, sharp-tailed grouse, and ring-necked pheasant.

The Refuge includes 785 acres in fee-title and 1,050 acres in easement. This includes Shell Lake, a 450-acre area of open water and wetland that provides excellent habitat for all species of prairie waterfowl, as well as Wilson's phalarope; Ring-billed gulls, California gulls, common terns, Forster's terns, and black terns.

Our Mission

Each unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System is established to serve a statutory purpose that targets the conservation of native species dependent on its lands and waters. All activities on those acres are reviewed for compatibility with this statutory purpose.

The Refuges is managed to provide vital resting and breeding habitat for waterfowl, other migratory birds, and resident fish and wildlife species. 

Our History

Shell Lake National Wildlife Refuge was established on June 12th, 1939 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. This was in the latter years of the Dust Bowl, commonly referred to as the "Dirty Thirties". Because water resources were so limited during these years of drought, many saw Shell Lake as a vital resource to protect. To this day, Shell Lake provides water that is vital to the migratory birds who commonly use it as a stop-over point during their long migration.