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 Kearney County, NE
Kearney County has 9 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 2,889 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Prairie Dog WPA at 894 acres; the average tract is about 321 acres, and 3 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 514 square miles and has roughly 6,688 residents. WPAs make up about 0.9% of its land area.
9named WPAs
2.9Kacres of WPA land
894largest WPA (ac)
1refuges & districts
Map of WPAs in Kearney 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.
Loading interactive map…
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 Kearney County
| WPA | Acres | Nearest town | GPS | Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Dog WPA | 894 | 13 mi E of Holdrege | 40.39987, -99.12743 |
Map · Directions |
| Gleason WPA | 571 | 18 mi E of Holdrege | 40.43405, -99.02348 |
Map · Directions |
| Jensen WPA | 468 | 27 mi SE of Kearney | 40.39852, -98.74325 |
Map · Directions |
| Clark WPA | 455 | 17 mi E of Holdrege | 40.37862, -99.05415 |
Map · Directions |
| Youngson WPA | 183 | 26 mi SE of Kearney | 40.39767, -98.78686 |
Map · Directions |
| Lindau WPA | 155 | 18 mi E of Holdrege | 40.40428, -99.03601 |
Map · Directions |
| Bluestem WPA | 76 | 16 mi E of Holdrege | 40.44181, -99.05866 |
Map · Directions |
| Frerichs WPA | 47 | 14 mi E of Holdrege | 40.37369, -99.12616 |
Map · Directions |
| Killdeer WPA | 40 | 14 mi E of Holdrege | 40.38935, -99.10518 |
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 Kearney 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 Kearney 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.
- Kearney, NE16 mi — county center is SE of town
- Holdrege, NE23 mi — county center is E of town
- Grand Island, NE44 mi — county center is SW of town
- North Platte, NE105 mi — county center is SE of town
Shooting hours in Kearney County
Today at Kearney 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 | 6:32 AM | 7:02 AM | 8:10 PM | 13h 08m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:45 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:46 PM | 12h 32m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 7:00 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:19 PM | 11h 49m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 7:15 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:57 PM | 11h 12m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:34 AM | 7:04 AM | 5:34 PM | 10h 29m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:19 PM | 9h 58m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 7:09 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:10 PM | 9h 31m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:21 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:09 PM | 9h 18m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 7:28 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:18 PM | 9h 20m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 7:27 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:31 PM | 9h 35m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 7:16 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:51 PM | 10h 06m |
Computed for 40.498, -98.948 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.
7-day forecast for Kearney County
Loading National Weather Service forecast…
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Wind direction matters — plan your approach downwind of where game beds.
Refuges & districts with land in Kearney County
Neighboring counties with WPAs
- Adams County, NE 2 WPAs · 394 ac
- Franklin County, NE 4 WPAs · 2.1K ac
- Phelps County, NE 6 WPAs · 4.7K ac
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.