As another ice fishing season comes to an end in Minnesota, a grassroots effort is taking another step toward keeping trash out of our lakes.

Keep it Clean MN helped pass legislation that makes it illegal to throw garbage on the ice, but now that group says more can be done to address the problem.

On Lake Waconia, it’s quiet for a change.

The fish houses are gone, and as the ice melts, Minnesota DNR Conservation Officer Alexander Birdsall says that should make way for any garbage to reappear.

“This is the time of year we get out there and kind of assess the trash, what was left behind,” said Birdsall.

“A lot of people are out there enjoying Minnesota in the winter; it’s awesome,” said Joe Henry, Lake of the Woods tourism director

As much as he loves to see ice fishing grow in popularity, Henry wants people to do it responsibly.

“There’s a lot of people that are good people, but ‘Hey, we’re going to set this garbage on the ice for now, we’re certainly going to bring it with us when we go,’ but things happen such as freezing in, snow, wind, birds, forgetting one bag out of the three, things like that,” Henry said.

Henry’s coalition, which represents more than 1,200 lakes across the state, helped pass the Keep it Clean law, making it illegal to place any garbage or waste on the ice. 

“People are actually keeping this stuff off the ice,” Henry said.

The new litter law went into effect on July 1, 2023. Since then, the DNR has issued 75 citations and 220 warnings.

“We usually have great compliance with just a simple talking,” Birdsall said.

Now Keep it Clean MN is taking it one step further. A new bill would bring in the DNR or Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to help run their group.

“This is an important enough topic that we need a little bit more organization behind it,” Henry said.

Plus, it calls for more funding sent directly to different communities to continue their mission.

“Maybe that’s promotions, advertising, maybe it’s cleanup efforts, maybe it’s signage, it could be a myriad of things,” Henry said.

Back out on Lake Waconia, Birdsall says for years, some local students have done an ice cleanup day. They used to fill three truck beds full of trash from this lake.

“This last year they did the ice cleanup, they couldn’t even fill two regular kitchen trash bags,” Birdsall said.

That’s why he believes people are taking this seriously to protect one of our greatest resources.

“The cleaner we keep our water and resources, the better,” Birdsall said.

For more information on the mission of Keep it Clean MN, click here.

The bill has been introduced in the House and has bipartisan support.