REGIONAL— The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is reminding anglers that the deadline for removing permanent fish houses is March 16 for most lakes in northern Minnesota.
Anglers on border lakes have until March 31 to remove their permanent shelters, but anglers are advised to watch the weather conditions since removing shelters can get more difficult later in the season.
Anglers may still ice fish after removal deadlines, but shelters on the ice between midnight and one hour before sunrise must be attended or occupied. Also, shelters may not be left at public access sites.
The DNR also wants to remind all fish house owners to pick up and properly dispose of any trash as part of removing their shelter from the ice. This includes wooden blocking materials, which must be removed, even if they are frozen into the ice.
“It’s been a good, long season for many anglers,” said Lt. Col. Robert Gorecki, assistant director of the DNR Enforcement Division. “We’d like to see that continue and have this part of the season end on a high note, which means shelters off by the deadlines and the ice free of litter.”
If shelters aren’t removed by the statutory deadlines, owners may be prosecuted, and structures left behind may be confiscated and removed or destroyed by a conservation officer.
A final reminder from the DNR’s Enforcement Division: When venturing out on the ice always keep in mind that ice conditions can vary widely and change quickly. Ice is never 100 percent safe, and everyone should check the ice thickness for themselves.