Fish house removal deadlines approaching

(St. Paul, MN) – The deadline for southern Minnesota ice fisherman to remove their structures from lakes is quickly approaching.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says anglers in the southern two-thirds of the state have until end of day on Monday, March 2 to remove fish houses from Minnesota lakes. The removal deadline for the northern one-third of the state is Monday, March 16.

The northern and southern parts of the state are split by a line that runs west-east along Highway 10, east along Highway 34 to Minnesota Highway 200, east along 200 to Highway 2, and east along Highway 2 to the Minnesota – Wisconsin border.

“Anglers are responsible for removing their shelters by the deadline, so they need to plan ahead,” said DNR conservation officer Garrett Thomas. “And just as importantly, they have to ensure the area around their fish house is free of trash.”

If shelters are not removed by the deadline, owners will be cited and structures could be confiscated, removed, or destroyed.  After the deadline, shelters may be on the ice between midnight and one hour before sunrise if occupied.

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).

More information on shelter removal is available online.