Waterfowl Production Area · Dane County, Wisconsin

Jackson Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Jackson Waterfowl Production Area is a 148-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Dane County, Wisconsin. It is managed by the Leopold Wetland Management District as part of the Dane 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.

148GIS acres
150deeded acres
Dane Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Jackson 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 Dane County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Jackson WPA

What you can typically do

  • Hunt waterfowl, upland birds, deer and other game in season under Wisconsin 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 Jackson WPA

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Destination: Jackson Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
43.28404, -89.42470
DMS
43°17′02.5″N 89°25′28.9″W

Nearest towns

  • Madison, WI15 mi N of town
  • Fond du Lac, WI60 mi SW of town
  • Necedah, WI61 mi SE of town

Closest airports

  • MSN Madison Dane County11 mi

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

Shooting hours at Jackson WPA

Today at Jackson 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, 20265:50 AM6:20 AM7:35 PM13h 15m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:05 AM6:35 AM7:10 PM12h 34m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:23 AM6:53 AM6:41 PM11h 48m
Thu, Oct 15, 20266:39 AM7:09 AM6:16 PM11h 07m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:01 AM6:31 AM4:51 PM10h 19m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:20 AM6:50 AM4:35 PM9h 45m
Tue, Dec 1, 20266:39 AM7:09 AM4:24 PM9h 15m
Tue, Dec 15, 20266:52 AM7:22 AM4:22 PM9h 00m
Fri, Jan 1, 20276:59 AM7:29 AM4:31 PM9h 02m
Fri, Jan 15, 20276:57 AM7:27 AM4:45 PM9h 18m
Mon, Feb 1, 20276:44 AM7:14 AM5:07 PM9h 53m

Computed for 43.284, -89.425 (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
Vienna WPA392.5 mi SDane County
Schoeneberg Marsh WPA7357.6 mi NEColumbia County
Anderson WPA1257.9 mi EColumbia County
Hinkson Creek WPA3379.5 mi NColumbia County
Rowe WPA33411 mi NEColumbia County
Severson WPA25114 mi NEColumbia County
Vangen WPA8115 mi NEColumbia County
Baraboo River WPA95015 mi NColumbia County

Closest refuges & districts

Leopold WMD

Columbia County, WI · 16 mi N

1 open2 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

13.8K huntable acres

Fox River NWR

Marquette County, WI · 28 mi N

1 open1 closed
🦌

988 huntable acres

Horicon NWR

Dodge County, WI · 44 mi NE

3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

21.6K huntable acres

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