With ice conditions rapidly deteriorating across much of central and southern Minnesota, the Department of Natural Resources is urging anglers to plan now for removing their fish houses as key shelter deadlines approach.
Monday, March 2nd at 11:59 PM is the deadline for waters in the southern two-thirds of the state, while 11:59 PM on March 16th is the deadline for waters in the northern third of the state.
The DNR’s Joe Albert outlines what can happen if you fail to remove your fishing shelter…
“I mean, it could be like a letter citation. In some cases, we could confiscate or seize the fish house and destroy it, or sell it.”
Albert says fishing can continue beyond the fish house removal deadline, but under more specific rules…
“It doesn’t mean the ice fishing season is over. People can still fish, and you can still use fish houses. But if they’re going to be on the ice between midnight and an hour before sunrise, you basically need to be sleeping in them or fishing from them or kind of, you know, we use the word attending them.”
Albert says if you do run into problems in removing a fish house by the deadline, reach out to your local DNR conservation officer.
(content: courtesy, in part, MNN)
