To protect the environment and ensure safety, anglers must register new or previously unregistered ice-fishing huts on area lakes. Registration is free and helps discourage anglers from abandoning their huts, which can end up in waterways and washed up on shorelines when the ice thaws. Here are some guidelines:
• Huts must be registered in Fishery Management Zones 9-12 and 14-20.
• As of October 7, 2014 clients will need to register their new ice fishing huts online.
• An individual only needs to register once and those with an existing ice hut registration number do not need to re-register.
• Once registered, an ice-fishing hut can be used anywhere in Ontario.
• Registration numbers on ice huts must be at least 6.3 centimetres (2.5 inches) in height and clearly displayed on the outside of the hut.
• Tent-style ice huts made of cloth or synthetic fabric that have a base area of seven square metres (75.4 square feet) or less when erected do not need to be registered.
• It’s a good idea to place huts on 15-centimetre (six-inch) high wooden blocks to make it easier to remove them at the end of the season. Ice hut owners must keep the area around their huts clear of garbage.
• Ice fishing hut removal dates also apply to huts within Fisheries Management Zones 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20. Relevant ice hut removal dates can be found in the Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary or online at: www.ontario.ca/ice fishing.
• Ice huts must be removed from lakes before ice break-up, even if it is before the specified removal date. It is an offence under the Public Lands Act to leave an ice hut after ice break-up.
You can get more information on ice hut registration at ontario.ca/fishing