Rainwater Basin WMD
Phelps County, NE
✓1 open✕1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣
24.9K huntable acres
County guide · Nebraska · NE WPAs
Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in Clay County, NE
Clay County has 19 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 7,136 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Harvard WPA at 1,444 acres; the average tract is about 376 acres, and 5 are smaller than 80 acres.
WPAs here are managed by the Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District, which sets any district-specific rules (vehicle access, blinds, nontoxic shot, closed areas).
The county covers about 576 square miles and has roughly 6,104 residents. WPAs make up about 1.9% of its land area.
19named WPAs
7.1Kacres of WPA land
1,444largest WPA (ac)
1refuges & districts
Map of WPAs in Clay County
Gold outlines are fee-title Waterfowl Production Areas — federally owned public land. Land outside them is almost always private. Switch to satellite to check water conditions and cover, and click any tract for coordinates.
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Waterfowl Production Area (public)County lineRefuge / station
Tip: switch to Satellite or USGS Topo in the layer menu · click the map for GPS coordinates
All Waterfowl Production Areas in Clay County
| WPA | Acres | Nearest town | GPS | Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard WPA 1,454 deeded ac |
1,444 | 24 mi SE of Grand Island | 40.61539, -98.16546 |
Map · Directions |
| Massie WPA 961 deeded ac |
1,080 | 35 mi SE of Grand Island | 40.47759, -98.03744 |
Map · Directions |
| McMurtrey WPA | 1,067 | 27 mi S of Grand Island | 40.56819, -98.17078 |
Map · Directions |
| Hansen WPA | 642 | 42 mi SE of Grand Island | 40.44838, -97.85285 |
Map · Directions |
| Smith WPA | 568 | 39 mi SE of Grand Island | 40.43791, -97.97602 |
Map · Directions |
| Hultine North WPA | 524 | 28 mi SE of Grand Island | 40.63141, -97.97276 |
Map · Directions |
| Hultine South WPA | 478 | 29 mi SE of Grand Island | 40.61878, -97.96204 |
Map · Directions |
| Moger WPA | 196 | 36 mi SE of Grand Island | 40.48473, -97.99027 |
Map · Directions |
| Eckhardt WPA | 175 | 40 mi SE of Grand Island | 40.46297, -97.90505 |
Map · Directions |
| Verona WPA | 160 | 33 mi SE of Grand Island | 40.54830, -97.96192 |
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| Lange WPA | 160 | 36 mi SE of Grand Island | 40.56454, -97.84855 |
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| Rolland WPA | 129 | 36 mi SE of Grand Island | 40.58893, -97.81944 |
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| Glenvil WPA | 120 | 32 mi S of Grand Island | 40.47559, -98.22006 |
Map · Directions |
| Theesen WPA | 81 | 29 mi S of Grand Island | 40.51163, -98.26541 |
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| Schuck WPA | 80 | 37 mi SE of Grand Island | 40.45751, -97.99984 |
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| Meadowlark WPA | 79 | 36 mi SE of Grand Island | 40.47203, -97.99989 |
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| Green Acres WPA | 64 | 38 mi SE of Grand Island | 40.46848, -97.94152 |
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| Harms WPA | 60 | 35 mi SE of Grand Island | 40.48381, -98.01163 |
Map · Directions |
| Harvard Nw WPA | 30 | 23 mi S of Grand Island | 40.62027, -98.18641 |
Map · Directions |
Acreage from USFWS realty GIS polygons. Coordinates are a point inside each tract — not necessarily a parking area. Look for designated parking and boundary signs on the ground.
Hunting WPAs in Clay County: rules & tips
Typically allowed
- Hunting waterfowl, upland birds, deer and other game in season under Nebraska regulations
- Walk-in access from roads and designated parking areas
- Fishing and trapping where state and district rules allow
- Wildlife watching, photography and dog training outside restricted periods
Common restrictions
- No camping, fires or overnight use on most tracts
- Motor vehicles only on designated roads and parking areas
- Blinds and portable stands usually removed at the end of each day
- Nontoxic shot required for waterfowl; many districts require it for all shotgun hunting
- Some tracts have closed areas, refuge-style rules or seasonal restrictions
Getting to Clay County
Distances below are straight-line from the center of the county. Most WPAs are reached by county and township gravel roads — download the GPX file and load it into your phone or GPS before you lose cell coverage.
- Grand Island, NE32 mi — county center is SE of town
- Kearney, NE56 mi — county center is E of town
- Holdrege, NE70 mi — county center is E of town
- Lincoln, NE73 mi — county center is W of town
Shooting hours in Clay County
Today at Clay County
Legal light*–
Sunrise–
Sunset–
*½ hour before sunrise — the standard federal shooting-hour start for migratory game birds. Times in Chicago local time.
Full season calculator →2026–2027 season sun table
| Date | Shooting light | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, Sep 1, 2026 | 6:28 AM | 6:58 AM | 8:06 PM | 13h 08m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:41 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:43 PM | 12h 32m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 6:57 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:16 PM | 11h 49m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 7:11 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:53 PM | 11h 12m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:31 AM | 7:01 AM | 5:30 PM | 10h 29m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 5:16 PM | 9h 58m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 7:05 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:06 PM | 9h 31m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:18 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:06 PM | 9h 18m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 7:25 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:14 PM | 9h 19m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 7:23 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:28 PM | 9h 34m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 7:12 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:48 PM | 10h 06m |
Computed for 40.522, -98.045 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.
7-day forecast for Clay County
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Forecast from the National Weather Service. Wind direction matters — plan your approach downwind of where game beds.
Refuges & districts with land in Clay County
Refuge hunt units in Clay County
| Unit | Refuge | Status | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| McMurtrey WPA | Rainwater Basin WMD | ✕Closed | 1,068 |
Neighboring counties with WPAs
- Adams County, NE 2 WPAs · 394 ac
- Fillmore County, NE 10 WPAs · 3.5K ac
- Hall County, NE 1 WPAs · 969 ac
- Hamilton County, NE 3 WPAs · 1.2K ac
- York County, NE 5 WPAs · 1.3K ac
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.