Deadlines Approach For Michigan Ice Fishing Shanty Removal

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - State officials are reminding ice anglers of approaching deadlines for removing shanties from frozen Michigan waters.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says shanties must be retrieved from waters in the northern Lower Peninsula by midnight Thursday.

Affected 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.

The Thursday deadline also applies to waters on the Michigan-Wisconsin boundary. For the rest of the Upper Peninsula, the deadline is March 31.

Anglers can still use shanties after those dates but must remove them daily.

Owners whose structures fall through the ice could be jailed, fined and required to pay recovery costs.

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