Fishers reminded to remove ice huts off Lake Simcoe by March 15 as ice fishing season comes to end

With spring quickly approaching, ice fishing season is coming to an end

Yorkregion.com
March 3, 2022
Aileen Zangouei

With spring quickly approaching, ice fishing season is coming to an end this year. This means the time is coming to remove fishing huts off the lake.

The Ontario Conservation Officers Association (OCOA) is reminding anglers to think ahead and prepare to remove their fish huts off from Ontario's frozen waterbodies.

Anglers can continue to ice fish, said the OCOA President Matthew McVittie, as long as ice conditions are safe. "But ice huts must be removed from the ice by the prescribed deadlines ... after the ice hut removal dates, anglers may fish without an ice hut or use a portable fish hut that is made of cloth or synthetic fabric that is seven square metres in size or less," McVittie said.

The ice hut removal date for Lake Simcoe is March 15.

"While ice safety should always be a top consideration before heading out fishing in the winter, this is especially true near the end of the winter season," said McVittie.

"Ice conditions not only vary depending on where you are in the province, they can also vary greatly on a single waterbody. Areas with moving water or shallow areas, including shorelines, sunken points and mid-lake shoals can be safe one day and virtually ice free a day or two later."