North Dakota Fish Houses Must Leave Frozen Waters by Mid-March

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department's annual deadline to clear unoccupied fish houses from frozen waters arrives today, March 15, with the rule applying statewide and carrying real consequences for those who leave unmarked or abandoned structures behind.

The department's regulatory language is direct: all unoccupied ice houses must be removed from all waters beginning March 15 until ice-out. That includes lakes throughout Stutsman County, where deteriorating ice conditions this season have made the deadline especially relevant for anglers who may still have houses on local waters.

Ice fishing does not have to stop today. The Game and Fish Department says fish houses may be used after March 15 if they are removed daily, meaning a house can go out in the morning but cannot be left unattended overnight. The rule targets structures sitting on the ice without anyone present, not the act of fishing itself.

Compliance carries specific requirements beyond simply pulling a house off the ice. Any unoccupied fish house must display either an equipment registration number issued by the department, or the owner's name plus an address or telephone number, in characters at least 3 inches high on the outside. The department warns that any unoccupied fish house left on the ice without proper identification may be removed or destroyed, and its owner is guilty of a class 2 noncriminal offense. Leaving a fish house on federal U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge land, Corps of Engineers land, Bureau of Reclamation land, or any state-owned or managed land after March 15 is explicitly illegal under state rules.

Construction standards also apply: any structure used as a fish house or darkhouse, including campers, must be built of material that allows it to float and be readily removable from the ice at any time. When in use, fish houses must remain open for inspection at all times.

Today's deadline also closes the darkhouse spearfishing season. Darkhouse spear and bow fishing, legal statewide for northern pike and nongame fish since November 15, ends with today's date. The Game and Fish Department also encourages anglers heading out to retrieve their gear to look around and clean up any trash left at their sites before leaving the ice for the season.