Fish shelter identification required

Minnesota conservation officers want to remind ice anglers and others that all shelters placed on the ice of Minnesota waters must have either the: 1) complete name and address, 2) driver’s license number, or 3) The nine-digit DNR number on the license of the owner plainly and legibly displayed on the outside in letters, and figures at least 2 inches in height.

This includes ice skating warming houses and other traditional structures placed on the ice, either temporarily or overnight.

Other noteworthy shelter regulations include:

• Any shelter (fish houses, dark houses, warming houses, etc.) left on the ice at any time between midnight and one hour prior to sunrise must have a shelter license.
• The Dept. of Public Safety now requires trailers used to haul fish houses or dark houses and enclosed trailers or recreational trailers used for fishing to be registered. See your local Deputy Registrar for trailer registration.
• A tag, furnished with a license, must be attached to the exterior in a readily visible location.
• Shelters left on the ice overnight need to have at least 2 square inches of reflective material on each side of the house.
• A shelter license is not required on border waters with WI, IA, ND, and SD.
• On border waters, shelters must comply with the identification requirements of the state for which the angler is licensed.
• No person may erect a shelter within 10 feet of an existing shelter.
• Portable shelters may be used for fishing within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), but must be removed from the ice each night. The structure must be removed from the BWCAW each time the occupant leaves the BWCAW.