Time Running Out To Remove Shanties From NH Lakes And Ponds

CONCORD, NH — Soaring temperatures and New Hampshire state law mean it’s time to get any remaining ice shanties off frozen state lakes and ponds in the next few days. The New Hampshire State Fish and Game Department is reminding residents that the deadline for removing bobhouses is April 1. But with temperatures expected to rise into the 60s by the end of the week, time could be running out before that on many waterways.

"The law is designed to ensure that bobhouses and their contents do not fall through the ice and become a hazard to boaters, or get left behind on shore," said Lt. Heidi Murphy of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Law Enforcement Division in a statement.

Bobhouses must immediately be relocated to an authorized property and not left on the shore. Leaving bobhouses on public or private property other than your own without permission is a violation of state law.

Failure to remove a shanty from the ice by April 1 can result in a fine and a one-year loss of the owner’s fishing license. NH Fish and Game can seize any bobhouse not removed by the deadline, and all of its contents, if the owner cannot be identified.

Burning a boathouse on the ice is also illegal and will also result in a fine and one-year loss of fishing license.

With late-spring warmth forecast for later this week, NH Fish and Game urges those removing bobhouses to take precautions, including monitoring ice thickness, to ensure safety when removing bobhouses from frozen lakes and ponds.

According to the National Weather Service, temperatures will be above normal starting Wednesday with a peak of 61 degrees Saturday. Nighttime lows above freezing from Thursday through the weekend.

For more information, contact your local conservation officer or Fish and Game’s Law Enforcement Division in Concord at 603-271-3127.