The Michigan DNR wants to remind anglers that it’s almost time to remove your ice shanty.
Shanties in the northern lower peninsula must be removed by midnight on Tuesday, March 15.
Use caution as temperatures begin to fluctuate because the repeated thawing and refreezing of ice weakens its strength, and that decreases its ability to support the additional weight of people, snowmobiles, ORVs and shanties.
The best way to find out about ice conditions is word of mouth, but also by keeping an eye on the ice.
“You’ll see trucks out there and in a week you’ll start to see open water,” said Christopher Knaisel, Manager at Pilgrim Village in Cadillac. “The ice kind of rots, so it will maintain its thickness but it gets flaky, it gets soft. You’ll start to see lots of vent holes in the ice. It’ll change its texture. It won’t be as shiny anymore.”
Regardless of the removal dates, changing conditions could require the removal of shanties before March 15.
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