Waterfowl Production Area · Franklin County, Nebraska

Macon Lakes Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Macon Lakes Waterfowl Production Area is a 1,197-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Franklin County, Nebraska. It is managed by the Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District as part of the Franklin County Waterfowl Production Area group of WPAs. Waterfowl Production Areas are purchased largely with Federal Duck Stamp dollars and are generally open to hunting, trapping and fishing under state regulations, with some federal restrictions.

Navigate here Satellite map Rainwater Basin WMD rules →
1,197GIS acres
1,188deeded acres
Franklin Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Macon Lakes WPA satellite map

Gold outlines are fee-title Waterfowl Production Areas — public land. Everything outside is typically private; always look for boundary signs.

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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 WPAs in Franklin County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Macon Lakes WPA

What you can typically do

  • Hunt waterfowl, upland birds, deer and other game in season under Nebraska regulations
  • Walk in from roads or designated parking areas — vehicles generally stay off the tract
  • Fish and trap where state rules and district regulations allow
  • Wildlife watching, photography and hiking

Common restrictions

  • No camping, fires or overnight use on most WPAs
  • Motorized vehicles only on designated roads/parking
  • Temporary blinds and stands usually must be removed daily
  • Non-toxic shot required for waterfowl — many districts require it for all shotgun hunting
  • Some tracts have closed areas or special regulations — check signs

How to get to Macon Lakes WPA

Navigate

Destination: Macon Lakes Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
40.19228, -98.95510
DMS
40°11′32.2″N 98°57′18.4″W

Nearest towns

  • Holdrege, NE28 mi SE of town
  • Kearney, NE36 mi S of town
  • Grand Island, NE60 mi SW of town

Closest airports

  • GRI Central Nebraska Regional64 mi

Straight-line distances. Driving routes are longer; many refuge roads are gravel and may close seasonally.

Shooting hours at Macon Lakes WPA

Today at Macon Lakes WPA

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

DateShooting lightSunriseSunsetDaylight
Tue, Sep 1, 20266:32 AM7:02 AM8:09 PM13h 07m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:45 AM7:15 AM7:46 PM12h 31m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:00 AM7:30 AM7:20 PM11h 49m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:15 AM7:45 AM6:57 PM11h 13m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:34 AM7:04 AM5:34 PM10h 31m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:50 AM7:20 AM5:20 PM9h 60m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:08 AM7:38 AM5:11 PM9h 33m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:20 AM7:50 AM5:10 PM9h 20m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:27 AM7:57 AM5:19 PM9h 21m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:26 AM7:56 AM5:32 PM9h 36m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:15 AM7:45 AM5:52 PM10h 07m

Computed for 40.192, -98.955 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day forecast

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Forecast from the National Weather Service. Wind direction matters — plan your approach downwind of where game beds.

Nearby Waterfowl Production Areas

WPAAcresDistanceCounty
Ritterbush WPA1946.7 mi NWFranklin County
Spoonbill Flats WPA1597.3 mi NWFranklin County
Quadhamer WPA59811 mi NWFranklin County
Clark WPA45514 mi NKearney County
Lindau WPA15515 mi NKearney County
Frerichs WPA4715 mi NWKearney County
Killdeer WPA4016 mi NWKearney County
Youngson WPA18317 mi NEKearney County

Closest refuges & districts

Rainwater Basin WMD

Phelps County, NE · 26 mi NW

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

24.9K huntable acres

Kirwin NWR

Phillips County, KS · 39 mi S

3 special2 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

5.8K huntable acres

John W. and Louise Seier NWR

Rock County, NE · 142 mi N

1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗

2.4K huntable acres

Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest), Franklin County Waterfowl Production Area. Acreage from GIS polygons; deeded acreage from realty records.