Waterfowl Production Area · Franklin County, Nebraska

Ritterbush Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Ritterbush Waterfowl Production Area is a 194-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 →
194GIS acres
194deeded acres
Franklin Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Ritterbush 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 Ritterbush 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 Ritterbush WPA

Navigate

Destination: Ritterbush Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
40.26154, -99.04275
DMS
40°15′41.5″N 99°02′33.9″W

Nearest towns

  • Holdrege, NE21 mi SE of town
  • Kearney, NE30 mi S of town
  • Grand Island, NE59 mi SW of town

Closest airports

  • GRI Central Nebraska Regional62 mi

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

Shooting hours at Ritterbush WPA

Today at Ritterbush 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 AM8:10 PM13h 08m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:45 AM7:15 AM7:47 PM12h 31m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:01 AM7:31 AM7:20 PM11h 49m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:15 AM7:45 AM6:58 PM11h 13m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:34 AM7:04 AM5:34 PM10h 30m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:51 AM7:21 AM5:20 PM9h 59m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:09 AM7:39 AM5:11 PM9h 32m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:21 AM7:51 AM5:11 PM9h 20m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:28 AM7:58 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 40.262, -99.043 (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
Spoonbill Flats WPA1591.0 mi WFranklin County
Quadhamer WPA5984.6 mi NWFranklin County
Macon Lakes WPA1,1976.7 mi SEFranklin County
Clark WPA4558.1 mi NKearney County
Frerichs WPA478.9 mi NWKearney County
Killdeer WPA409.4 mi NKearney County
Lindau WPA1559.9 mi NKearney County
Prairie Dog WPA89411 mi NWKearney County

Closest refuges & districts

Rainwater Basin WMD

Phelps County, NE · 20 mi NW

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

24.9K huntable acres

Kirwin NWR

Phillips County, KS · 42 mi S

3 special2 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

5.8K huntable acres

John W. and Louise Seier NWR

Rock County, NE · 137 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.