2015 Regulations, Registration and Removal of Ice Huts
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.
▪ Huts must be registered in Fisheries Management Zones (FMZ) 9 to 12 and 14 to 20. To register your ice hut online, an individual or business can access the registration form online through ontario.ca/icefishing. Once registered, an ice-fishing hut can be used anywhere in Ontario. Maps of the different FMZ’s in Ontario are available at Ontario.ca/fishing.
▪ 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 hut removals are dependent on location. To check the removal date for your area, call your local ministry office.
▪ 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.
Learn More
▪ For ice hut registration in other districts, refer to the Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary.
▪ For more information on ice hut registration and requirements, contact your local ministry office.
