ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Fish house removal deadline is Monday in southern two-thirds of Minnesota

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reminders anglers not to leave litter behind when they remove fish houses by the deadline at 11:59 p.m. Monday, March 6.

Ice house community
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reminds anglers that the deadline for removing fish house shelters from lakes in the southern two-thirds of the state is Monday. The file photo shows fish houses on Norway Lake in Kandiyohi County.
West Central Tribune file photo

ST. PAUL — Many anglers removed their fish houses from the ice in advance of last week’s winter storm. People who haven’t yet done so should make plans to meet upcoming deadlines, and all anglers — whether they’re fishing from a shelter or not — should leave only an imprint in the snow or ice when they head for shore.

The removal deadline for inland waters in the southern two-thirds of the state is 11:59 p.m. Monday, March 6. In the northern one-third of the state — north of the east-west line formed by U.S. Highway 10, east along state Highway 34 to state Highway 200, east along Highway 200 to U.S. Highway 2, and east along Highway 2 to the Minnesota-Wisconsin border — the deadline is 11:59 p.m. Monday, March 20.

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officers have been out recently checking shelters and documenting potential problem areas ahead of the removal deadlines, according to a news release. Officers are watching especially closely to ensure people don’t leave litter behind, including the wooden blocking materials anglers use to keep their shelters off the ice. Other commonly left items include sewage, bait, bottles, cans and cigarette butts.

“Anything that’s left on the ice will either sink to the bottom or float to shore, and in either case harms our environment and portrays a negative image of all ice anglers,” said DNR Conservation Officer Garrett Thomas in the release. Thomas is stationed in Eagan. “If you brought something onto the ice, it’s your responsibility to bring it off. While we’re lucky to have people who care and don’t hesitate to pick up after others, they shouldn’t have to do that.”

After the deadlines, fish houses can still be on the ice, but must be occupied if the houses are out between midnight and one hour before sunrise. Shelters can’t be left or stored at public accesses. Shelters not removed by the deadline might be confiscated and removed from the ice, and their owners might receive citations.

ADVERTISEMENT

As they venture out, anglers always should keep in mind that ice conditions can vary widely and that ice is never 100 percent safe.

Exceptions to the removal deadlines are Minnesota-Canada border waters (March 31), Minnesota-South Dakota and North Dakota border waters (March 5), Minnesota-Wisconsin border waters (March 1) and Minnesota-Iowa border waters (Feb. 20).

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of "West Central Tribune staff report." Often, the "West Central Tribune staff report" byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

The West Central Tribune newsroom can be reached via email:
news@wctrib.com or phone 320-235-1150.
What To Read Next
Get Local

ADVERTISEMENT