Ice shanty

An ice shanty (also called an ice shack, ice house, fishing shanty, fish house, fish coop, bobhouse, ice hut, or darkhouse; French: cabane à pêche) is a portable shed placed on a frozen lake to provide shelter during ice fishing. They can be as small and cheap as a plastic tarpaulin draped over a simple wooden frame, or as expensive as a small cabin with heating, bunks, electricity, and cooking facilities.

Ice shanties, Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin, US

The Vista, an unusual shanty with a view

Sainte-Anne-River, Quebec, Canada 1964

More durable ice houses are generally left on a lake for the duration of the ice fishing season, although this can cause problems, such as thaws and re-freezing causing houses to be immoveably frozen onto the lake.^[1] Lighter, cheaper versions can collapse into a package to be moved from lake to lake during the season.

Many northern communities have developed bodies of laws about the operation of ice shanties - frequently including dates by which they must be removed, even if the ice can still hold them.^{[2] [3] [4]}

Culture

In northern climates, ice shanties are the center of ice fishing culture, customs and traditions. Fishermen often decorate their ice shanties in humorous ways (toilets are a popular joke addition), while others studiously work on ways to make their ice shanties more comfortable and efficient. Much of the culture reflects on the inherent danger of erecting a structure atop a frozen pond. The mayor of Hudson, Ohio claimed ice shanties could lead to increases in prostitution, although WJW (TV) could find no evidence of this.^[5]

Construction

• Setting up ice shanties in Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade
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  Off-season storage
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  Strengthening ice with soon-frozen water
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  Installation of the electrical network
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  Fishing hole and cut ice blocks
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  Insulation with ice, which will be covered with snow
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  Interior
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  Fishing party