Minnesota Ice Fishing Rules
Minnesota ice fishing rules: lines and tip-ups, hook-setting devices, fish house licenses and identification, removal dates for 2026-27 and dark house spearing.
Photo of Rainy River: Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Lines, tip-ups and hook setters
- 2 lines may be used through the ice, except only 1 line on designated trout lakes and streams.lines
- You must remain within sight of your line. With a tip-up you must be within 200 feet of the device (Wisconsin border waters: within 400 feet).attendance
- NEW: Non-motorized devices that set the hook using a spring or the force of a fishing rod released from a bent position can be used through the ice. The device cannot automatically reel or spool the line or automatically retrieve a hooked fish.hook setters
2026 Minnesota Fishing Regulations, pages 82 and 83.
Shelters
Fish house and shelter rules
- All shelters, except portable shelters, placed on the ice in inland and Canadian border waters need a shelter license. Portable shelters need a license if left unattended any time between midnight and 1 hour before sunrise, or if the person is not within 200 feet. Not required on border waters with Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota. License valid March 1 through April 30 of the followlicense required
- All shelters need identification (owner name and address, driver’s license number, or DNR number) visible from the exterior in characters at least 2" high, except occupied portable shelters.identification
- Anywhere on Minnesota waters; shelters must be no closer than 10 feet apart. In the BWCAW, shelters must be removed from the ice each night and each time you leave the BWCAW.placement
- Shelters on the ice overnight must have at least 2 square inches of reflective material on each side.reflective material
- Garbage, waste and dead fish must be placed in a container secured to a shelter or sled.litter
- After removal dates, shelters may remain on the ice between midnight and 1 hour before sunrise only when occupied or attended. Shelters may not be left at public access sites.after removal date
| Shelter license | Fee |
|---|---|
| Resident Fish House, Dark House or Shelter – Annual | $15 |
| Resident Fish House, Dark House or Shelter – 3-year | $42 |
| Resident Rented Fish House/Dark House/Shelter – Annual | $30 |
| Resident Rented Fish House/Dark House/Shelter – 3-year | $87 |
| Nonresident Fish House, Dark House or Shelter – Annual | $37 |
| Nonresident Fish House, Dark House or Shelter – 7-Day | $21 |
| Nonresident Fish House, Dark House or Shelter – 3-year | $111 |
Removal dates
When shelters must come off the ice
| Waters | Winter 2026-27 |
|---|---|
| Inland waters, southern part of state (south of the line formed by U.S. Hwy 10, Hwy 34, MN Hwy 200 and U.S. Hwy 2 to the Wisconsin border) | March 1, 2027 |
| Inland waters, northern part of state (north of that line) | March 15, 2027 |
| Minnesota-Iowa border waters | February 20 |
| Minnesota-Wisconsin border waters | March 1 |
| Minnesota-North and South Dakota border waters | March 5 |
| Minnesota-Canada border waters (including Lake of the Woods) | March 31 |
All shelters must be off the ice no later than midnight on the removal date (news release: 11:59 p.m.).
Spearing
Dark house spearing
- Northern pike, catfish, and whitefish may be speared only from a dark house. Native rough fish (including gar) and carp may be speared in or outside a dark house.species
- Residents age 18 through 89 and nonresidents 18 and older need a spearing license and an angling license; youth 16 and 17 need an angling license only.license
- 1 additional angling line allowed (fish landed immediately, not used as decoy); no artificial lights; lighted decoys with non-mercury batteries allowed; backdrop material must be retrieved; party fishing does not apply.methods
- Most inland waters; only Baby Lake (Cass County) is closed to dark house spearing. Native rough fish may not be taken while dark house spearing in designated trout lakes.where
- Nov. 15, 2026 – Feb. 28, 2027 (flathead catfish Nov. 15 – Nov. 30, 2026); Canada border waters Nov. 15, 2026 – Feb. 28, 2027.season 2026 27
| Species | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Northern pike (dark house spearing) | 2 (only 1 northern pike over 26") | Nov. 15, 2026 – Feb. 28, 2027 except where prohibited |
| Northern pike (dark house spearing) | 10 (either 2 northern pike over 26" and none from 22 to 26" or 1 from 22 to 26" and 1 over 26") | Nov. 15, 2026 – Feb. 28, 2027 except where prohibited |
| Northern pike (dark house spearing) | 2 (minimum size 24") | Nov. 15, 2026 – Feb. 28, 2027 except where prohibited |
| Channel catfish (dark house spearing) | 5 (only 1 over 24") | Nov. 15, 2026 – Feb. 28, 2027 except where prohibited |
| Flathead catfish (dark house spearing) | 2 (only 1 over 24") | Nov. 15 – Nov. 30, 2026 except where prohibited |
| Lake whitefish (dark house spearing) | 15 | Nov. 15, 2026 – Feb. 28, 2027 except where prohibited |
In photos
Minnesota waters, pictured
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region, Public domain
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Photo: Lorne Sunley, CC BY 3.0
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Photo: Jimmy Dreger, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: P199, CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers
Asked about the Minnesota Ice Fishing Rules page
How many lines can I use ice fishing in Minnesota?
Two lines through the ice, except one on designated trout lakes and streams.
How far can I be from a tip-up?
Within 200 feet, and within sight of the line; 400 feet on Wisconsin border waters.
Do I need a fish house license?
Yes for shelters left on the ice, and for portable shelters left unattended between midnight and an hour before sunrise; not on Wisconsin, Iowa and Dakota border waters.
When must fish houses come off the ice in 2027?
March 1, 2027 for the southern two-thirds of the state and March 15, 2027 for the northern third; border waters have their own dates.
Can I use a spring hook setter?
Yes; non-motorized hook-setting devices became legal in 2026, provided they do not reel line or retrieve fish.
What can I spear from a dark house?
Northern pike, catfish and whitefish from a dark house; rough fish and carp in or out of one.
Do I need a spearing license?
Residents 18 to 89 and nonresidents 18 and older need a spearing license plus an angling license.
How must a shelter be marked?
With the owner name and address, driver license number or DNR number in 2-inch letters, plus reflective material if left overnight.
More
Other Minnesota limits pages
- Minnesota Inland Waters Limitsstatewide limits, pike zones and line rules
- Minnesota Border Waters RulesCanada, Wisconsin, Iowa and the Dakotas
- Minnesota Trout and Lake Superior Rulesstream trout seasons, stamp and Lake Superior limits
- Minnesota Special Regulations Waterslakes and streams with their own limits
- License and feeswho needs one, prices