Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Environment is reminding anglers to get their ice fishing shelters off the lake this month.
The deadline for shacks to be removed south of Highway 16 is March 15, and it’s March 31 for those north of Highway 16.
People who don’t pick up their shelters can be prosecuted and their shacks, along with all their belongings, can be confiscated.
“I know in 2014, there was a Saskatoon man who left his out there and he received a $2,800 fine,” said conservation officer Kevin Harrison. “We deal with it every year. People get fines and they lose their shacks because they don’t get them off in time.”
He said ditching ice fishing shacks creates a danger for boaters and water-skiers in the summertime.
It also has environmental impacts for wildlife and when pieces wash up on shore.
Anglers can still bring their shelters on the lake until ice fishing season ends on March 31 — as long as they remove them the same day.