Time to clean up and remove ice houses from Minnesota lakes

The Department of Natural Resources says ice fishing houses must be off of lakes in the southern two-thirds of Minnesota by midnight Monday. Anglers in the northern third of the state have until the end of March 19.

If structures aren't removed by the deadline, owners will be prosecuted and structures may be confiscated and destroyed.

Dates of removal are determined by a west-to-east line formed by U.S. Highway 10 starting at the Minnesota-North Dakota border, then east along Highway 34 to Minnesota Highway 200, east along Highway 200 to U.S. Highway 2, and east along Highway 2 to the Minnesota-Wisconsin border.

Now that it's time to start packing up, the DNR is also asking people to pick up their garbage as they head out.

"Minnesota's lakes are among the best in the nation and it's up to each one of us to do our part to keep them clean," said Col. Rodmen Smith, director of the DNR Enforcement Division.

The DNR says anyone headed out on a frozen lake should be mindful of the ice thickness.