With warm temperatures as March gets underway, ice conditions are shifting. For anglers with permanent ice shelters, these conditions make removing them an urgent priority.

“Lots of people are already pulling. You know, permanent people, you know, they get the thawing, and they get frozen. So, people who know what they’re doing and have the time will go out and they’ll jack things up and block it if you want to get a little more time. But you know, we’re done spearing and people are still doing some angling. But most of the people that I’ve talked to are starting to pull them now while pulling is good, because you just, you never know,” said Russ Francisco, owner of Marine General.

Many times, the most dangerous areas when ice conditions deteriorate are access points. Department of Natural Resources officials urge anglers to use caution and bring the proper safety equipment when going out to remove your shelter.

“The first place ice deteriorates is around the access points, and I would recommend bringing a spud bar and checking the ice continuously as you go. Bring all the safety precautions and tools you can, such as ice picks, ice cleats, carry a throw rope, and definitely go with someone else or at least let someone know when you’re going out there,” says Wisconsin DNR Conservation Warden Megan Abrahamson.

With the swings in temperature, melting and re-freezing can also have an impact on the quality of the ice.

“Keep in mind that ice this time of year has probably frozen, thawed, and refrozen and that compromises strength. Even 12 inches of ice that would have held you a month ago might not be able to hold much weight at all,” said Minnesota DNR Communications Coordinator Joe Albert.

The permanent shelter removal deadlines are March 17 by 11:59pm for Northern Minnesota, and March 16 by 11:59pm for Northern Wisconsin. The exception is for the Minnesota/Canada border, where permanent shelters have until March 31st to vacate. Temporary shelters are still allowed after those deadlines, but they can’t be left unattended.