Waterfowl Production Area · Miner County, South Dakota

Johnston Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Johnston Waterfowl Production Area is a 30-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Miner County, South Dakota. It is managed by the Madison Wetland Management District as part of the Miner 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.

30GIS acres
30deeded acres
Miner Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Johnston 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 Miner County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Johnston 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 Johnston WPA

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Destination: Johnston Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
44.03922, -97.78351
DMS
44°02′21.2″N 97°47′00.6″W

Nearest towns

  • Mitchell, SD26 mi NE of town
  • Huron, SD31 mi SE of town
  • Madison, SD34 mi W of town

Closest airports

  • FSD Sioux Falls Regional61 mi

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

Shooting hours at Johnston WPA

Today at Johnston 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, 20266:23 AM6:53 AM8:09 PM13h 17m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:38 AM7:08 AM7:44 PM12h 35m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:57 AM7:27 AM7:14 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:14 AM7:44 AM6:49 PM11h 05m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:36 AM7:06 AM5:23 PM10h 17m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:55 AM7:25 AM5:06 PM9h 41m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:15 AM7:45 AM4:55 PM9h 10m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:28 AM7:58 AM4:53 PM8h 55m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:35 AM8:05 AM5:02 PM8h 57m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:32 AM8:02 AM5:16 PM9h 14m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:19 AM7:49 AM5:39 PM9h 50m

Computed for 44.039, -97.784 (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
Hein WPA1584.3 mi SMiner County
Twin Lakes WPA1935.1 mi SEMiner County
Corbin WPA1645.7 mi EMiner County
Foos WPA817.1 mi SEMiner County
Hepner WPA2267.8 mi EMiner County
North Windedahl WPA838.1 mi NEMiner County
South Windedahl WPA808.1 mi NEMiner County
Raesley WPA1618.9 mi SMiner County

Closest refuges & districts

Huron WMD

Beadle County, SD · 31 mi NW

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

17.5K huntable acres

Madison WMD

Lake County, SD · 36 mi E

1 open1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

44K huntable acres

Lake Andes NWR

Charles Mix County, SD · 66 mi SW

1 open3 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

2.2K huntable acres

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