Ice House Anglers Should Register With ADFG Offices

The following press releases are courtesy of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game:

Anglers required to register ice fishing houses in Tanana River drainage

(Fairbanks) – With temperatures dropping and ice starting to thicken up on Interior lakes and ponds, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), Division of Sport Fish reminds ice anglers that any ice houses (including portable ice fishing tents) in the Tanana River drainage that are not removed daily from the ice must be registered with the department.

Ice anglers can register their ice houses by phone or in person at ADF&G offices in Delta Junction (907-895-4632) or Fairbanks (907-459-7228).

Ice house owners will be issued a permit with a unique permit number. The ice house must have this permit number plainly displayed on the side and roof with the numbers at least 12 inches high and 1 inch wide in a color that contrasts with the background. A signed copy of the ice house permit must be kept in the ice house anytime the ice house is being used.

All registered ice houses are required to be removed from the ice no later than April 30th. Portable ice fishing tents/houses do not need to be registered if they are removed from the ice at the end of the day,

“Anglers should check ice thickness on the lake or pond they plan to place their ice houses on before doing so,” Tanana River drainage Area Management Biologist Andy Gryska advised. “This can be done by drilling holes in the ice to measure ice thickness, starting from shore and working their way farther out onto the lake or pond.”

Ice should be at least 4 inches thick to support the weight of a person, 6 inches thick to support a snowmachine, 8-12 inches thick to support cars and small trucks, and 12-15 inches thick to support larger pickup trucks. However, no ice is 100 percent safe, and ice anglers are advised to avoid off-colored snow or ice.

For additional information, contact Andy Gryska at the Fairbanks ADF&G office at (907) 459-7339 or andrew.gryska@alaska.gov or Brandy Baker in the Delta office at (907) 895-4632 or brandy.baker@alaska.gov.

Ice house registration reminder for Upper Copper/Upper Susitna drainages

(Glennallen) – The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), Division of Sport Fish reminds anglers in the Upper Copper and Upper Susitna drainages that any ice house left overnight (not removed from the ice daily) must be registered annually with the Division of Sport Fish (5 AAC 52.025). An ice house includes all shelters, temporary and permanent, that are used when fishing through the ice (including portable or “pop up” types of shelters or tents). Registration is only required for ice houses that are left overnight from October 1 through April 30.

A permit will be issued that includes a unique permit number at the time of registration. The unique permit number remains with the permit holder/ice house and will be reissued when the permit is renewed each year. This permit number must be displayed on the side and on the roof of the ice house with numbers that are at least 12 inches high and 1 inch wide and are plainly visible in a color that contrasts with the background. A copy of the current ice fishing season’s signed permit must be kept in the ice house anytime it is being used, and the permittee must remove the ice house from the ice no later than April 30.

To register your ice house, please call the Glennallen ADF&G Office at (907) 822-3309, or visit the office in-person.

Please note that ice should be at least 4 inches thick to support the weight of a person, 6 inches thick to support a snowmachine, 8-12 inches thick to support cars and small trucks, and 12-15 inches thick to support larger pickup trucks. However, no ice is 100 percent safe, and ice anglers are advised to avoid off-colored snow or ice.

For additional information, contact Mark Somerville at the Glennallen office at (907) 822-3309 or mark.somerville@alaska.gov.