MDNR warns ice shanty removal may come early

LANSING — The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is warning anglers that warming temperatures may require anglers to remove their ice shanties earlier than the mandated deadlines.

Those going on the ice as temperatures rise or fluctuate should use caution, DNR officials warn, as repeated thawing and refreezings can weaken the integrity of the ice and make it unable to support the weight of people, snowmobiles, off-road vehicles or shanties.

“Regardless of the required date, ice shanties must be removed before the ice becomes too weak to support them,” said F/Lt. Jason Wicklund, DNR Law Enforcement Division. “It’s the angler’s responsibility to safely remove their shanty before it falls through the ice.”

Shanty owners can face penalties of up to 30 days in jail, fines of between $100-$500 or both for ice shanties that fall through the ice, according to the DNR, and owners can be ordered to reimburse government agencies for up to three times of the costs incurred during the removal if the agency removes the shanty.

If early removal isn’t required, shanties on Michigan-Wisconsin boundary waters have to be removed by midnight of March 15, while other other waters in the Upper Peninsula have a midnight of March 31 deadline.

The daily use of shanties is permitted anywhere in Michigan as long as conditions allow and the shanties are removed at the end of the day, according to the DNR.

—Richard Jenkins