Wind gusts over 80 kmh helped clear some ice huts off area lakes prematurely yesterday. The deadline for removal is March 31.
Missing the deadline is a ticketable offence.
The registering and removal dates for ice huts are regulated under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act regulations. Anglers or individuals who fail to remove their ice huts can be charged.
Fishing in Zone 11, which includes Lake Nipissing, will be closed to all species from March 16 to Friday before the third Saturday in May.
Failure to remove an ice hut is a $150 fine and owners are reminded not to leave any garbage or debris behind.
Leaving debris frozen in the ice becomes both an environmental hazard and a public safety concern as once the water opens up there is always the risk of boaters colliding with wooden blocks, skids, tarps, or ice hut parts.
Meanwhile, many ice huts sit on Callander Bay and the south shore.
Callander requires that all ice fishing huts be removed in an orderly manner from municipal property on or before April 7.
The By-Law Enforcement officer can have any ice fishing hut in violation of the by-law removed and the cost of removal will be recovered from the owner upon claiming an ice fishing hut.
Ice Huts not claimed after April 21 become municipal property and will be disposed of or sold as surplus goods.
Read the bylaw here.
