(WWJ) - Anglers heading out to ice fish in the Lower Peninsula need to be cautious as unseasonable weather may prompt officials to call for shanty removal prior to the seasonal dates, officials warned.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources said they may have to make the decision as warm weather and melting ice continue to cause potentially dangerous conditions for ice fishing.
“Throughout most of the Lower Peninsula, Mother Nature unfortunately didn’t cooperate with us this year,” said acting Lt. Jeff Rabbers, DNR Law Enforcement Division said in a prepared statement. “As disappointing as it is that many anglers must cut their season short, safety is the DNR’s main priority. We want to make sure that everyone has ample opportunity to remove their shanties before conditions become unsafe.”
Anyone going out on to the ice should be extremely cautious as temperatures continue to fluctuate. Last week saw an Arctic blast of subzero temperatures and wind chills in the negatives froze Metro Detroit, but by Tuesday, Feb, 7, Detroit almost set a new record high of 55°.
The DNR explained that repeated thawing and refreezing of ice "weakens its strength, decreasing its ability to support the additional weight of people, snowmobiles, ORVs and shanties."
Additionally, the deteriorating ice, high winds and water currents all contribute to the possibility of pressure cracks, which can leave anglers and others stranded on ice floes or at risk of falling through the ice.
The Coast Guard said the people in Wisconsin were stuck on the large piece of floating ice, which broke free while they were ice fishing.
The DNR reminded shanty owners that if their structures fall through the ice, they are subject to penalties of up to 30 days in jail, fines up to $500, or both.
If a shanty is removed by a government agency, the court can require the owner to reimburse that agency for up to three times the cost of removal.
Learn more at Michigan.gov/IceSafety.
Additional information about the DNR's removal dates are outlined blow:
• Daily use of ice shanties is permitted anywhere in Michigan if ice conditions allow and if the shanties are removed from the ice at the end of each day.
• Seasonal removal dates begin with Lake St. Clair, located northeast of Detroit. This year, shanties must be removed from Lake St. Clair before sunset Sunday, Feb. 26.
• Shanties in the northern Lower Peninsula must be removed by midnight Wednesday, March 15. Those counties include Alcona, Alpena, Antrim, Arenac, Bay, Benzie, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Clare, Crawford, Emmet, Gladwin, Grand Traverse, Iosco, Isabella, Kalkaska, Lake, Leelanau, Manistee, Mason, Mecosta, Midland, Missaukee, Montmorency, Newaygo, Oceana, Ogemaw, Osceola, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle, Roscommon and Wexford.
• Ice shanties in the remaining counties of the Lower Peninsula must be removed by midnight Wednesday, March 1.
• In the Upper Peninsula, on Michigan-Wisconsin boundary waters, ice shanties must be removed by midnight Wednesday, March 15.
• All other bodies of water in the Upper Peninsula must have ice shanties removed by midnight Friday, March 31.