Minnesota DNR Reminds Fish House Owners of Approaching Removal Deadline
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is reminding anglers of the approaching fish house removal deadline.
In a news release Friday, the DNR says the removal deadline in the southern two-thirds of the state is Monday while the deadline for the northern one-third of the state is March 15. The deadline for Minnesota-Canada border waters is March 31, and the Minnesota-South Dakota and North Dakota border waters deadline is March 5.
If shelters aren't removed by the deadline, owners may be prosecuted, and houses may be confiscated or destroyed by a conservation officer. If weather conditions make removal of houses difficult by the deadline, the DNR says residents should contact their local conservations officer.
"And don't just remove your fish house — make sure you clean up everything around it and leave only an impression in the ice or snow," said DNR conservation officer Leah Kampa, in the release. "It's been heartening this winter to see people's willingness to clean up the litter other people leave, but it's unfortunate some people don't take the time to clean up after themselves."
Any violators caught littering will be cited as a result.
The DNR says that fish houses may still be on the ice after the deadline, but they must be occupied if they're out between midnight and one hour before sunrise.
The boundaries for deadlines are defined as north of the east-west line formed by 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.