The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is reminding anglers that many lakes across the province have significant slush conditions. You need to plan ahead in order to remove your ice hut on time.
- Ice huts must be removed from certainFisheries Management Zones (FMZ) in Ontario by a specified date (see table below).
- Conservation Officers encourage anglers to make sure their huts are placed on the ice in a way that prevents them from freezing into the ice i.e. blocking the skids up off the ice which will make removal easier to do when it comes time for removal.
- Ice hut owners are responsible to remove all debris, garbage etc. from the ice in the vicinity of their ice huts.
- Leaving debris frozen in the ice becomes an environmental and a public safety concern i.e. boaters colliding with wooden blocks, tarps, ice hut parts, etc.
- Conservation Officers ask that all ice hut owners start now developing a plan and implementing it on how they will remove their ice huts before the specified deadline, do not wait until the last minute to move them, this will show responsible ownership. i.e. packing a trail to the ice hut.
- If ice huts remain out on the ice beyond the specified deadline, the matter will be investigated and may result in charges being laid against the owner(s) of the hut.
| FMZ | Removal Date |
| 17, 20 | March 1 |
| 12, 14, 16, 18, 19 | March 15 (below Timiskaming Dam in 12) |
| 9, 10, 11, 12, 15 | March 31 (above Timiskaming Dam in 12) |
| 1, 2 ,3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 13 | Registration and removal dates do not apply |
| It is an offence under the Public Lands Act to leave your ice hut out after ice break up, regardless of whether registration and removal dates apply |
Have further questions? Be sure to reach out to your local MNRF enforcement unit as our conservation officers are here to help you and answer any questions you may have.
To report a natural resources violation, call the MNRF TIPS line at 1-877-847-7667 toll-free any time or contact your local ministry office during regular business hours.
You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). And visit Ontario.ca/mnrftips to view an interactive, searchable map of unsolved cases. You may be able to provide information that will help solve a case.
