It's been warming up the last few days and the snow has been melting.  Also, the ice has been starting to get a little thinner.  This is normal for this time of year and the deadlines to remove ice shelters reflect that.  In Minnesota, if you're south of the Highway 2 line you'll need to have your ice house off the lake by Monday March 4th.

Dates of removal are determined by an eastwest line formed by U.S. Hwy. 10, east along Hwy. 34 to Minnesota Hwy. 200, east along Hwy. 200 to U.S. Hwy. 2, and east along Hwy. 2 to the Minnesota-Wisconsin border.

If you're north of the line, you have until March 18th to remove your house.  However, the DNR urges you not to wait until the last minute.  Circumstances and ice conditions can change quickly.  Last year we had an incredibly warm first weekend of march, and ice conditions deteriorated rapidly.  We got into some trouble on the lake and had a nerve-racking experience.

If you don't get your ice house removed in time, you can face fines and have your belongings confiscated or destroyed by the DNR.  And yes, they do keep track of your houses on the ice.  I've seen them go around and mark houses with a gps device so they can come back and check.

 

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