FINCH, Ontario – The South Nation Conservation (SNC) Authority is warning residents about rapidly thinning ice and are asking fishers to remove their ice fishing huts sooner than the March 15 deadline.
SNC states that this past week they have recorded ice as thin as 15 cm near some fishing huts near Casselman. SNC states that ice should be a minimum of 15 cm thick for walking and 30 cm thick for other activities.
“At this rate, the sooner the huts are removed the safer,” explains Ryan Robson, SNC’s Resource Technician, who spent time this week surveying ice conditions on the South Nation River. “The recent fluctuations in weather have not made for good, safe ice over an extended period,” added Robson.
SNC is reminding anglers that it is an offence under the Public Lands Act to leave an ice fishing hut out on the water after ice break-up, and that it is also an offence to burn down an ice fishing hut.
For more information on removing your ice fishing hut, please visit www.ontario.ca/page/ice-fishing.