It's almost time to reel in the gear for the season.

The deadline for bringing in ice shacks off lakes and rivers is coming up, set for March 15 for all water bodies south of Highway 16.

With all the warm weather recently, many will have already made plans to fetch their transportable fishing abodes. Others may still want to get a few more lines in the water before they get up and go. 

Murray Koob, a sport fish specialist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment, encourages even the most devoted of anglers not to leave it too long. 

"Don't leave it to the last hour on March 15; give yourself lots of time," said Koob. "[In cases where] you're going to have to work to try and get your ice shack free, there's a variety of ways to get it free, but it's up to the individual to determine that."

Anyone north of Highway 16 will have until March 31 to remove their shacks. 

"That's just so you have time before ice conditions deteriorate," Koob continued. "So you're able to get to the shacks off so that they don't end up going out with the ice and creating hazards for boaters and littering the shorelines, that sort of thing."

In the past, there have been occasions where shacks have gone through the ice, losing thousands of dollars in equipment and the structure itself. 

Folks are reminded that storing a shack on private or public land without express permission is illegal. It is up to the shack's owner to properly store it and work out a location appropriate for storage.