Chester Island WMA: hunting, rules and access
Chester Island WMA is 94 acres of Game and Parks land, centered about 2 miles southwest of Brady, in Lincoln County and the Platte deer unit. Atlas note: Camping limited to three consecutive nights in a six-day consecutive period. No motorized vessels.
Data updated October 2026. Game and Parks' 2026-27 Public Access Atlas and property layer; OFW 2026-27.
Game and Parks landOpen Fields and WatersChester Island WMAOther WMAsDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 94 (Game and Parks); 94 inside the mapped boundary |
|---|---|
| District and atlas sheet | SW, map sheet 18 & 19 |
| Atlas marks | No target shooting |
| County | Lincoln |
| Deer unit | Platte |
| On Game and Parks' records since | 1982 |
What are the rules on Chester Island WMA?
The 2026-27 atlas: Camping limited to three consecutive nights in a six-day consecutive period. No motorized vessels. The atlas marks it no target shooting.
Source: Game and Parks' 2026-27 Public Access Atlas, area index (PDF page 118).
Which deer unit is Chester Island WMA in?
The Platte deer unit, 5,076 square miles, with 1,423 deer taken across the whole unit in 2025. The Platte unit has special rules in the Big Game Guide (page 19).
Unit Buck permits for the Platte unit in 2026: Platte 700 (1 AD2, sold out DRAW in 2025) and Platte WT 500 (1 WT, sold out Sept. 2 in 2025) (Game and Parks' 2026 Big Game Guide, page 13).
Harvest: Game and Parks' 2026 Big Game Recommendations.
What public and walk-in land is near Chester Island WMA?
Within five miles: 243 acres of Game and Parks land (this area included), and 144 acres of OFW walk-in land on 1 tract. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 159 acres 4.4 miles southeast (All Hunting Seasons and Trapping). Nearest WMAs: West Gothenburg WMA (4.1 mi).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Game and Parks Open Fields and Waters, 2026-2027. County walk-in totals: Lincoln County.
How do you get to Chester Island WMA?
Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: I-80 and US 30.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Brady | 2 | northeast |
| Maxwell | 9 | northwest |
| Gothenburg | 13 | southeast |
| North Platte | 21 | northwest |
| Moorefield | 21 | south |
Questions hunters ask
Are there special rules on Chester Island WMA?
Yes. The 2026-27 atlas says: Camping limited to three consecutive nights in a six-day consecutive period. No motorized vessels.
Where is Chester Island WMA?
Its middle is about 2 miles southwest of Brady, in Lincoln County and the Platte deer unit.
How big is Chester Island WMA?
94 acres by Game and Parks' count; 94 acres inside the boundary on Game and Parks' map.
Get a Nebraska hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Nebraska are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Nebraska included.
Sources: Game and Parks' 2026-27 Public Access Atlas; Game and Parks properties (WMAs, recreation areas, parks); USGS PAD-US 4.1; Game and Parks Open Fields and Waters, 2026-2027; Game and Parks' 2026 Big Game Recommendations. General WMA rules: all WMAs. FilledTag is not part of Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.