Waterfowl Production Area · Roberts County, South Dakota

Johnson Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Johnson Waterfowl Production Area is a 79-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Roberts County, South Dakota. It is managed by the Waubay Wetland Management District as part of the Roberts 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 Waubay WMD rules →
79GIS acres
80deeded acres
Roberts 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.

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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 Roberts 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

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Decimal
45.40238, -96.71662
DMS
45°24′08.6″N 96°42′59.8″W

Nearest towns

  • Watertown, SD40 mi NE of town
  • Morris, MN41 mi W of town
  • Wahpeton, ND60 mi S of town

Closest airports

  • ABR Aberdeen Regional83 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, 20266:17 AM6:47 AM8:07 PM13h 20m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:33 AM7:03 AM7:40 PM12h 37m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:53 AM7:23 AM7:09 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:11 AM7:41 AM6:43 PM11h 02m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:34 AM7:04 AM5:16 PM10h 11m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:54 AM7:24 AM4:58 PM9h 34m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:15 AM7:45 AM4:46 PM9h 01m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:29 AM7:59 AM4:44 PM8h 45m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:36 AM8:06 AM4:53 PM8h 47m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:33 AM8:03 AM5:07 PM9h 05m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:18 AM7:48 AM5:31 PM9h 43m

Computed for 45.402, -96.717 (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
Minder WPA1021.5 mi NWRoberts County
Cameron WPA1123.8 mi NWRoberts County
Foster WPA314.2 mi NEBig Stone County
Remund WPA695.6 mi NWRoberts County
Pew WPA226.2 mi SGrant County
Arndt WPA177.8 mi NEBig Stone County
Middlewest Investment WPA468.0 mi NEBig Stone County
Van Hout WPA1618.9 mi SEGrant County

Closest refuges & districts

Big Stone NWR

Lac qui Parle County, MN · 20 mi SE

2 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

9.6K huntable acres

Big Stone WMD

Big Stone County, MN · 21 mi SE

1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

4.4K huntable acres

Waubay WMD

Day County, SD · 30 mi W

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

41.1K huntable acres

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