Hewitt Lake NWR is located in northeastern Montana just west of Nelson Reservoir in Phillips County. This 1,680-acre refuge is slightly less than half in Service ownership. A large shallow lake basin covers much of the refuge, with water absent during some years. The alkaline nature of the lake precludes much vegetation development. A low dam on the east end of the lake adds to the capacity during wet years.

The refuge was established as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. Besides many migratory water and song birds, the refuge has pronghorn antelope and black-tailed prairie dogs. The mountain plover has been observed irregularly.

The unit is within the Bureau of Land Management's Area of Critical Environmental Concern for the Big Bend of the Milk River, with huge encampment sites and bison kill areas surrounding the refuge.

Visitor Opportunities

Recreational opportunities include hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing.

Hewitt Lake NWR has access to the Service-owned portion from a county gravel road which crosses the main dam and then proceeds west along the north boundary.

The service-owned portion of the lake is open to waterfowl hunting. Permission from the private land owner would be needed prior to hunting the easement portion. All other hunting is closed.

Management Programs

Resource values are maintained by natural processes. The refuge is monitored to ensure that these values have not been compromised. The only management programs in place are maintenance of the primary dam and proposed fencing projects to exclude livestock grazing.

Directions

The best access is along a graveled county road which crosses the dam of Nelson reservoir, and then proceeds west for two miles to Hewitt Lake. BLM maps provide the best assistance for finding the refuge, although state highway maps all show Nelson Reservoir located about 17 miles northeast of Malta, Montana.