Hennepin County sheriff issues thin ice warning for area lakes

Public asked to remove fish houses as soon as possible.

February 15, 2023 at 10:56PM
A thin ice warning on Medicine Lake in Plymouth, back in 2017. (Carlos Gonzalez, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday urged the public to remove fish houses from area lakes as soon as possible, saying thin ice merits an early exit.

Several people have had their vehicles fall through the ice on Lake Minnetonka in recent days, the Sheriff's Office added.

"Lake ice around the county is in incredibly poor conditions and will present challenges to those who leave icehouses in place," said Major Shane Magnuson. "With the cycle of melting and refreezing, icehouses are at risk of becoming stuck in the ice, and vehicles remain at high risk of going through the ice."

Icehouses must be removed from Twin Cities lakes by 11:59 p.m. March 6. Deadlines for northern and border lakes and rivers can differ. A full schedule can be found at the state Department of Natural Resources website.

about the writer

about the writer

Matt McKinney

Reporter

Matt McKinney writes about his hometown of Stillwater and the rest of Washington County for the Star Tribune's suburbs team. 

See More

More from Local

card image

Republicans across the country benefited from favorable tailwinds as President-elect Donald Trump resoundingly defeated Democrat Kamala Harris. But that wasn’t the whole story in Minnesota.

card image