ST PAUL, Minn. — Ice fishing season has been significantly pushed back across Minnesota due to temps that are more fall-like than winter-appropriate.
But ice-making weather will arrive - sometime - and when it does anglers will be out on the frozen surfaces of lakes and rivers from Fairmont to Warroad, catching fish and generating a good amount of trash and refuse. A new law passed during the 2023 legislative session makes it clear that trash needs to be taken off the ice and disposed of properly, and gives DNR conservation officers more muscle in making sure they do.
The law requires people to secure their trash in a bucket, garbage bag or trash bin, and specifies that leaving sewage - whether from animals or humans - is strictly prohibited. Human waste has been an increasing problem in recent years with the growing popularity of deluxe fish houses (also known as wheelhouses) and their owners dumping sewage holding tanks on the ice before heading for shore.
The law gives the DNR the option of educating people first, and then taking enforcement action if necessary. Violators will be cited with a petty misdemeanor, which carries the possibility of a $100 fine.
“Most anglers leave nothing more than an impression on the ice, and many of them actually take the time to clean up after others because they know trash and waste left on the ice is an eyesore and environmental and human health concern,” said Col. Rodmen Smith, director of the DNR Enforcement Division in a released statement. “We certainly appreciate that mindset, but the reality is we expect all anglers to bring off the ice whatever they brought on. This law will help all of us ensure that happens.”
KARE 11's Jennifer Hoff chronicled last winter how the rise in popularity of ice fishing during the pandemic came with a cost. Conservation officers across the state reported seeing more trash and human waste left behind, especially on popular lakes like Mille Lacs, Lake of the Woods and Upper Red. Lake associations joined together in a campaign called "Keep it Clean," that urged ice anglers to:
Make a plan for trash and waste removal before you arrive. Whether you access the lake from public or private access, plan to take off of the lake what you take on to the lake. Many access points and resorts offer garbage collection services. If your site doesn’t, make a plan to transport it home for disposal.
Use colored garbage bags. In snowy conditions, white trash bags can be difficult to see. Brightly colored or even black bags are easier to spot making it less likely trash will inadvertently be left behind.
Take a moment before you depart the ice to make sure that you have picked up any garbage in your area. And if you notice someone else has left something behind, take a moment to pick it up and bring it with you.
Secure your garbage before traveling. High winds, bumpy ice roads and other conditions on or off the lake can cause unsecured bags of garbage to fall out of truck beds and off of trailers and sleds without you even realizing it.
Make sure you have the tools you need to move or remove a fish house. Support blocks, insulation, landscaping fabric, wood and other materials need to be properly disposed of not left behind.
Robyn Dwight, president of the Upper Red Lake Area Association, told KARE 11 that she helped volunteers pick up 23 tons of waste following the ice fishing season of 2022-23, and more than half of it was toilet bags full of human waste. Dwight testified in front of the Minnesota House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee in support of the new "Litter on Ice" law.
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