Attention all ice anglers! Fish house removal deadlines are approaching. Make a plan to bring the proper tools with you to remove your fish house safely.

Don’t leave wood blocks, insulation or trash of any kind behind on the ice. Trash and human waste infiltrates our waters, sinking to the bottom or washing up on shore, polluting the water, impacting aquatic plants and animals, and threatening many species of water birds. Leave your space how you found it and nothing but an impression behind.

The fish house removal deadline for inland waters in the southern two-thirds of the state is by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, March 6. In the northern one-third of the state – 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 – the deadline is by 11:59 p.m. Monday, March 20.

For border waters, also note that these border waters have their own removal deadlines:

• Minnesota-Iowa, Feb. 20
• Minnesota-Wisconsin, March 1
• Minnesota-North and South Dakota, March 5
• Minnesota-Canada, March 31

After the removal deadline, shelters can still be used, but if they’re on the ice between midnight and one hour before sunrise they must be occupied or attended. This information is also available on the DNR website.