Waterfowl Production Area · Phelps County, Nebraska

Jones Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 166 acres, Jones Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Phelps County, Nebraska. It is managed by the Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District as part of the Phelps 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 →
166GIS acres
166deeded acres
Phelps Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Jones 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 Phelps County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Jones 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 Jones WPA

Navigate

Destination: Jones Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
40.38956, -99.43047
DMS
40°23′22.4″N 99°25′49.7″W

Nearest towns

  • Holdrege, NE4.7 mi SW of town
  • Kearney, NE28 mi SW of town
  • Grand Island, NE68 mi SW of town

Closest airports

  • GRI Central Nebraska Regional71 mi

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

Shooting hours at Jones WPA

Today at Jones 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, 20266:34 AM7:04 AM8:12 PM13h 08m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:47 AM7:17 AM7:48 PM12h 32m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:02 AM7:32 AM7:21 PM11h 49m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:17 AM7:47 AM6:59 PM11h 12m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:36 AM7:06 AM5:36 PM10h 30m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:53 AM7:23 AM5:21 PM9h 59m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:11 AM7:41 AM5:12 PM9h 32m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:23 AM7:53 AM5:12 PM9h 19m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:30 AM8:00 AM5:20 PM9h 20m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:28 AM7:58 AM5:33 PM9h 35m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:17 AM7:47 AM5:54 PM10h 06m

Computed for 40.390, -99.430 (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
Atlanta WPA1,1472.9 mi WPhelps County
Linder WPA15612 mi NWPhelps County
Johnson WPA58213 mi NEPhelps County
Funk WPA1,99413 mi NEPhelps County
Peterson WPA1,15614 mi NWGosper County
Cottonwood WPA62814 mi NWPhelps County
Elley WPA6015 mi NWGosper County
Prairie Dog WPA89416 mi EKearney County

Closest refuges & districts

Rainwater Basin WMD

Phelps County, NE · 14 mi NE

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

24.9K huntable acres

Kirwin NWR

Phillips County, KS · 53 mi S

3 special2 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

5.8K huntable acres

John W. and Louise Seier NWR

Rock County, NE · 125 mi N

1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗

2.4K huntable acres

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