Minnesota fish house removal deadline is approaching

Minnesota DNR says remove fish houses early

With the winter warmup, the Minnesota DNR is urging anglers to remove their fish houses off lakes before the Monday deadline.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The deadline to remove fish houses from Minnesota lakes is approaching.

Minnesota fish house removal deadline approaching

Local perspective:

The Minnesota DNR is reminding Minnesotans who still have a fish house on the ice to plan for its removal.

Fish houses need to be removed from inland waters in the southern two-thirds of the state before 11:59 p.m. on March 3. Fish houses on northern Minnesota waters need to be removed by 11:59 p.m. on March 17.

Fish house removal deadlines map for Minnesota. (FOX 9)

The exceptions to the removal deadlines are Minnesota-Canada border waters, with a removal deadline of March 31; Minnesota-South Daota and North Dakota have a removal deadline of March 5, Minnesota-Wisconsin border waters have a removal deadline of March 1 and Minnesota-Iowa border waters had a removal deadline of Feb. 20.

If shelters aren't removed by the deadline, owners may be prosecuted and the DNR could confiscate and remove or destroy fish houses.

What they're saying:

"After this recent cold snap, we know people will want to take advantage of every day they can to use their ice shelters," said Capt. Cory Palmer, DNR Enforcement Southern Region manager. "However, current conditions don’t change the statutory deadlines. That said, people can still use their shelters after the deadline so long as the shelter has the proper identification and licensing and, if it’s on the ice between midnight and an hour before sunrise, is occupied or attended."

The DNR is also reminding people that ice is never 100% safe.