The provincial government is reminding anglers that the deadline to remove ice fishing shelters from the ice surface is coming up quickly. The deadline to remove the shelters on bodies of water south of Highway 16 is March 15th, while the deadline to remove the shelters from bodies of water north of the highway is March 31st.  

“You can’t overestimate the time that you have to remove your ice shack even though we’ve had a very cold winter and in some areas a lot of snow,” explained Corporal Frazer Parsons with the Conservation Officers Service with the provincial Ministry of Environment. “The weather conditions as we move into the spring, they can change so quickly that you really need to get out there as soon as you can to remove them.” 

Ice fishing shelters in Saskatchewan are required to have the owner’s name, address and phone number marked clearly on the outside, in letters that are at least 2.5 centimetres, or one inch, high.  

So, what happens with the shelters that aren’t removed? 

“Every year, what ends up happening is the odd person is unable or choose not to remove their ice shack, then what happens is the conservation officers in the area end up being the ones who have to go and remove the equipment and then the owners may be subject to prosecution, then their ice fishing shelter and all the contents may be removed at their expense,” Parsons added. 

Ice fishing shelters that are abandoned on melting ice can become hazards, posing dangers to boaters, water skiers and others who enjoy the lakes of the province during the summer. As well, debris can wash up on shore, causing litter and potential environmental hazards. 

Those who will be travelling on the ice are reminded that they should be extremely cautious. Slush is an indicator that the ice is quickly eroding, while thermal cracks and pressure ridges can form as a result of fluctuating temperatures, also creating unsafe ice conditions.