Waterfowl Production Area · York County, Nebraska

Heron Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 371 acres, Heron Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in York County, Nebraska. It is managed by the Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District as part of the York 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 →
371GIS acres
370deeded acres
York Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Heron 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 York County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Heron 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 Heron WPA

Navigate

Destination: Heron Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
40.97583, -97.75994
DMS
40°58′33.0″N 97°45′35.8″W

Nearest towns

  • Grand Island, NE30 mi E of town
  • Lincoln, NE57 mi W of town
  • Kearney, NE72 mi E of town

Closest airports

  • GRI Central Nebraska Regional29 mi

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

Shooting hours at Heron WPA

Today at Heron 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, 20266:26 AM6:56 AM8:06 PM13h 09m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:40 AM7:10 AM7:42 PM12h 32m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:56 AM7:26 AM7:15 PM11h 49m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:10 AM7:40 AM6:52 PM11h 11m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:30 AM7:00 AM5:28 PM10h 28m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:47 AM7:17 AM5:13 PM9h 56m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:06 AM7:36 AM5:04 PM9h 28m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:18 AM7:48 AM5:03 PM9h 15m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:25 AM7:55 AM5:12 PM9h 17m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:23 AM7:53 AM5:25 PM9h 32m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:12 AM7:42 AM5:46 PM10h 04m

Computed for 40.976, -97.760 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day forecast

Loading National Weather Service forecast…

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

Nearby Waterfowl Production Areas

WPAAcresDistanceCounty
Troester WPA41715 mi SWHamilton County
Waco WPA16115 mi EYork County
Nelson WPA16218 mi SWHamilton County
Freeman Lakes WPA34721 mi EYork County
Springer WPA62921 mi SWHamilton County
Sinninger WPA15721 mi SEYork County
County Line WPA24722 mi SEYork County
County Line WPA16522 mi SEFillmore County

Closest refuges & districts

Rainwater Basin WMD

Phelps County, NE · 83 mi W

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

24.9K huntable acres

Desoto NWR

Washington County, NE · 98 mi NE

4 special2 closed
🦌🦃🐦🎣

6.8K huntable acres

Boyer Chute NWR

Pottawattamie County, IA · 100 mi E

1 open10 special
🦌🦆🦃🎣

4K huntable acres

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