Fish house removal deadlines loom as ice melts
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With spring fast approaching, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wants anglers to prepare to remove their fish houses from off the ice to meet statutory deadlines.
“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.”
Anglers in the southern two-thirds of the state must have their fish houses removed from the ice by just before midnight March 2, unless they're going to be in use overnight. That affects fish houses from Moorhead to Duluth and points farther south.
Warm weather conditions have already prompted many anglers to begin removal early, according to Joe Albert with the DNR Enforcement Division.
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“We had that warm spell here a week to 10 days ago, and so for a lot of people that was kind of the last hurrah," Albert said. “We are seeing that access sites in particular are getting slushy and, you know, thin ice and just not real high quality conditions anymore. So, we are seeing in a lot of places that people have already taken [fish houses] off."
Albert said fish houses can remain on the ice after the deadline as long as they’re occupied. But once the angler heads for shore, they need to take their shelter with them. He also said anyone who violates the deadline may be prosecuted. And conservation officers may confiscate, remove or destroy any structures left behind.
“We would far rather work with people than have to take that enforcement action,” Albert said.
He also reminds anyone venturing onto the ice for any reason to exercise caution.
"Anytime you're out on the ice, especially this time of year, keep safety top of mind, because things can happen quickly,” he said. “The ice can change quickly, and so people really need to, wear a flotation device, use ice picks, that sort of thing."
Albert said the second removal deadline for the top third of the state, where ice holds up longer, is March 16, followed by the final deadline on March 31, for any U.S.-Canada border waters, including Lake of the Woods.
Once removed, shelters cannot be left at public access sites. And for any anglers having difficulty meeting the deadline, Albert suggests reaching out to their local DNR office.
