Recent warm weather has deteriorated many public water accesses across northern Minnesota and prompted thin-ice warnings on some lakes, leading many fish house owners to remove their shelters early. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is reminding anglers in the northern one-third of the state to plan ahead for the upcoming removal deadline of 11:59 p.m. March 16 for inland waters.

For Minnesota-Canada border waters, including Lake of the Woods, shelters must be removed by 11:59 p.m. March 31.

Anglers may continue fishing after the deadlines, but any shelter left on the ice between midnight and one hour before sunrise must be attended or occupied. Shelters also cannot be left at public access sites. The DNR urges fish house owners to properly dispose of trash and remove wooden blocking materials, even if frozen into the ice.

Officials warn that ice conditions can vary widely and change quickly, emphasizing that no ice is ever 100% safe.