Deadline to remove ice houses from Northern Minnesota lakes arrives

DULUTH, MN. (Northern News Now) - Anglers in the upper third of Minnesota have until the end of the day Monday to remove their ice houses.

If those permanent shelters aren’t removed by 11:59 p.m. on March 20, owners will be cited and structures could be confiscated and removed or even destroyed by a conservation officer.

After the deadline, shelters may be on the ice between midnight and one hour before sunrise only when occupied.

They may not be left or stored at public accesses.

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

Ice houses in the southern 2/3 of the state had to be removed by March 6.

The removal deadline for Minnesota/Canada border waters is March 31.

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

More information about ice fishing shelter deadlines is available at the MN DNR’s website.