Waterfowl Production Area · Rock County, Wisconsin

Johnstown Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 131 acres, Johnstown Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Rock County, Wisconsin. It is managed by the Leopold Wetland Management District as part of the Rock County Waterfowl Production Area of Wi 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 Leopold WMD rules →
131GIS acres
130deeded acres
Rock Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Johnstown 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 Rock County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Johnstown 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 Johnstown WPA

Navigate

Destination: Johnstown Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
42.75221, -88.80379
DMS
42°45′08.0″N 88°48′13.6″W

Nearest towns

  • Rockford, IL36 mi NE of town
  • Madison, WI37 mi SE of town
  • Milwaukee, WI49 mi SW of town

Closest airports

  • MSN Madison Dane County38 mi

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

Shooting hours at Johnstown WPA

Today at Johnstown 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, 20265:48 AM6:18 AM7:32 PM13h 13m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:03 AM6:33 AM7:07 PM12h 34m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:20 AM6:50 AM6:38 PM11h 48m
Thu, Oct 15, 20266:36 AM7:06 AM6:14 PM11h 08m
Sun, Nov 1, 20265:58 AM6:28 AM4:49 PM10h 21m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:16 AM6:46 AM4:33 PM9h 48m
Tue, Dec 1, 20266:35 AM7:05 AM4:23 PM9h 18m
Tue, Dec 15, 20266:48 AM7:18 AM4:22 PM9h 04m
Fri, Jan 1, 20276:55 AM7:25 AM4:30 PM9h 05m
Fri, Jan 15, 20276:53 AM7:23 AM4:44 PM9h 22m
Mon, Feb 1, 20276:40 AM7:10 AM5:06 PM9h 56m

Computed for 42.752, -88.804 (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
Sheepskin Marsh WPA2116 mi WRock County
Rockdale WPA3417 mi NWJefferson County
Johnson WPA4117 mi NWJefferson County
Red Cedar Lake WPA16518 mi NWJefferson County
Grass Lake WPA5324 mi NWDane County
Lund WPA17526 mi WRock County
Sime WPA7926 mi NWDane County
Gadwall Swamp WPA7127 mi NWDane County

Closest refuges & districts

Hackmatack NWR

McHenry County, IL · 31 mi SE

2 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

655 huntable acres

Horicon NWR

Dodge County, WI · 58 mi N

3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

21.6K huntable acres

Leopold WMD

Columbia County, WI · 63 mi NW

1 open2 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

13.8K huntable acres

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