Deadline nears to remove ice houses from Minnesota lakes

Time is running out if you still have an ice shelter on the lake in Minnesota. 

The Department of Natural Resources said in the southern two-thirds of the state, you need to remove them before midnight on March 2. Northern Minnesota has until March 16.

Experts say this was a great season on the ice.

"There's definitely still some ice fishing to be had out here. It's just being careful and watching where you're going," Bryce Thompson, who owns Nocturnal Guide and Rental Services, said.

On Lake Waconia, just a few ice houses remain.

"We had a good cold spurt and built up a lot of good ice and didn't have a lot of snow cover so that helped a lot," Thompson said.

And while the temperatures rise, Thompson is still at work.

"The last warm-up definitely had some tricks in it. It was a little bit sketchy in some areas," Thompson said. "It's really a hassle-free ordeal for the people that want to come out and fish with us."

Nocturnal Guide and Rental Services provides everything you need to experience ice fishing.

"The people that come out who have never been out before is honestly the most rewarding because they get excited about everything," Thompson said.

Zachory Taylor and Kayla Lake, newlyweds from California, were new to the sport when they went out Thursday.

"Usually we come back in the summer, but this time we wanted to try some ice fishing and get a sense of the real Minnesota," Kayla Lake said.

While this season is almost over, the memories should last a lifetime.

You can still ice fish after the deadline to remove shelters, but you'll want to check ice conditions first. Temporary shelters are allowed, but you must stay with it if you plan to leave it overnight.