DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is extending the deadline to remove permanent ice shelters from state owned lakes north of Hwy. 20, to February 27. Favorable ice conditions currently across north Iowa should allow shelters owners plenty of time to remove their shelters from Iowa lakes.
At Clear Lake, some shelter owners are not waiting for the deadline to remove their permanent shelter.
“We are down from our peak of about 90 permanent shelters on the lake,” said Scott Grummer, fisheries biologist for the DNR at Clear Lake. “We want to encourage the shelter owners to use this extra week to get their shelter off of the lake. We have good ice conditions right now, but that can change fairly quickly when you are talking about getting a truck or ATV out to remove the shelter. The biggest issue in late winter is lake access. Melting snow and runoff from parking areas can deteriorate ice near the shoreline quickly.”
Permanent ice shelters south of Hwy. 20 must be off the ice by February 20, or ice melt, whichever comes first.
Owners with shelters remaining on state owned land or water after the deadlines pass will be subject to fines. If a shelter falls through the ice, the owner is responsible for its removal.
