Waterfowl Production Area · Hand County, South Dakota

Johnson Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 19 acres, Johnson Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Hand County, South Dakota. It is managed by the Huron Wetland Management District as part of the Hand 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 Huron WMD rules →
19GIS acres
19deeded acres
Hand Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Johnson WPA satellite map

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

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 WPAs in Hand County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Johnson WPA

What you can typically do

  • Hunt waterfowl, upland birds, deer and other game in season under South Dakota 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 Johnson WPA

Navigate

Destination: Johnson Waterfowl Production Area

Google Maps Apple Maps Waze
Decimal
44.29694, -98.79317
DMS
44°17′49.0″N 98°47′35.4″W

Nearest towns

  • Huron, SD29 mi W of town
  • Mitchell, SD56 mi NW of town
  • Pierre, SD77 mi E of town

Closest airports

  • PIR Pierre Regional74 mi

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

Shooting hours at Johnson WPA

Today at Johnson 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 AM8:14 PM13h 17m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:42 AM7:12 AM7:48 PM12h 35m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:01 AM7:31 AM7:18 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:18 AM7:48 AM6:53 PM11h 05m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:40 AM7:10 AM5:26 PM10h 16m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:00 AM7:30 AM5:09 PM9h 40m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:20 AM7:50 AM4:58 PM9h 08m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:33 AM8:03 AM4:56 PM8h 53m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:40 AM8:10 AM5:05 PM8h 55m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:37 AM8:07 AM5:19 PM9h 12m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:24 AM7:54 AM5:42 PM9h 48m

Computed for 44.297, -98.793 (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
McGillvrey WPA380.7 mi NEHand County
Fischer WPA471.8 mi SHand County
Boomsma WPA2013.9 mi SHand County
Spring Lake WPA6205.0 mi WHand County
Campbell WPA4816.7 mi NWHand County
Cahalan WPA3578.1 mi NWHand County
Winter WPA2408.7 mi SWJerauld County
Long Lake WPA999.0 mi SEJerauld County

Closest refuges & districts

Huron WMD

Beadle County, SD · 29 mi E

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

17.5K huntable acres

Lake Andes NWR

Charles Mix County, SD · 78 mi S

1 open3 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

2.2K huntable acres

Lake Andes WMD

Charles Mix County, SD · 80 mi S

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

15.1K huntable acres

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