I shared a perm shanty with a guy I fished with.First year we had it on Silver Lake,Kenosha Cnty without an issue.Was nice to go out after work and fish crappies until midnight.

2nd year he decided to put it on Beulah Lake,what a mistake.Went out after the first weekend it was out,and found the lock/hasp was ripped off and some stuff was missing.I never left anything in it,but he lost a chisel,lantern and some misc items.So I went out a few days later to fix the lock,and found someone crapped in it.Replaced the lock and a week later some jackwad pushed in the plexiglass windows.We promptly moved it to Wind lake and had 0 problems.Must be some vindictive a-holes that live on Beulah?  

Interesting topic.  I fish frequently in all seasons.  I do not have what is referred to as a permanent shack.  I do have 3 different size portable shacks.  I am never concerned about where someone puts up their shack.  There are a thousand of other spots.

Saying that....There truly are not any ice shacks out there that are actually permanent.  Unless you have one that is secured with long poles into the lake bottom and you are paying taxes on it.  All shacks are mobile.  Some are just easier to move than others.   

If I took a pontoon or raft and anchored it over a known hotspot for the spring, summer, fall and transported myself out to this pontoon with a smaller boat would this not be approximately the same thing?  Wonder what the rules on that would be?

While none of this affects me,  I do understand as many others also do that this is a person issue.  The shack is just the focal point.  It would be unfortunate if the DNR had to put more regulations on shacks because a very small number of folks struggle at being a little more cordial and a little less possessive. 

Everyone... please be safe on the early ice, it's just a fish.  

Shellfish

Like many others who have posted, I thoroughly enjoy both permanent and portable shacks. For portables, you obviously can't beat the mobility and flexibility of them. Additionaly, if you have one of the newer insulated ones, you can really get them nice and toasty.

As for permanent shacks, I would said that you simply can't beat that amazing dry heat, especially when its just brutally cold outside. We have a permanent shack on a lake we have a trailer at. Most of the time, we just take it out for the weekend when we are there and then bring it back in.

In terms of permanent shacks and positioning over a good spot or claiming a "radius" of space around them, well, I think that is a pretty easy argument to solve.

1. Your shack gives you no additional rights or privileges to the lake or the spot you are on.

2. If you see a shack on a spot and no one is fishing from it, I think a reasonable well mannered fisherman or group of the same, should feel no guilt fishing near an unused shack. I would argue if you put a tip up right in front of their door you are a kind of being a dick or looking to pick a fight/argument.

3. If the shack is occupied and currently being fished from, treat it no differently than  you would if someone were fishing there in a boat. Be courteous. Either maintain a respectable distance, or if you want to fish closer, at least go have a chat or be cordial.

Yes, of course they should be allowed.  We built one five years ago and have gotten a lot of quality fishing out of ours.  It was super fun and rewarding designing and building the ice castle. We fish together every Friday night and invite friends as well.  We respect the lake, never leave a mess, and respect our neighbors.  I get excited for family Sunday outings as well, much easier than hauling 3 or 4 portables out for a couple hours of fishing.

your right Junkie - we should just ban them completely because those people are not real ice fishermen anyway and root of all winter evil. 

Permanent shanties should only be allowed south of highway 10   

Permanent Shanties should only be allowed N of Highway 10.  

Inherently, there is nothing wrong with permanent shanties.  The DNR doesn't and should never make a rule about how close you can fist to a permanent shanty because that violates everything that is good and free about public waterways (same goes for public hunting land. Had a guy stand with his back to the tree I was in my stand in hunting on public land. I was there first and he told me I was welcome to stay in my stand while he hunts there.... but thats another story). I have been in my portable flip over and had ice chips flying under the walls because I guy drilled a hole within 2 ft of me.  Again, I was there first but I guess I was on his spot. There is nothing wrong with using an empty shanty as a wind break.  If somebody wants to put their shanty on the perfect spot and tell the whole world "hey, here is the perfect spot", then you can't blame people for fishing close to it.  I think some people try to just be a big a-hole so you leave the best spot to them.  Don't leave, just be super friendly to them and they might realize the error of their ways.

I always dreamed of having a nice 8 x 12' permanent with a wood stove sitting over a walleye spot.  Have your buddies meet you there after work and play cards, jig and run tipups for half the night.  That would be a blast, but it never happened for various reasons.  I did make a semi-permanent 4x8' shanty and left that out on Devils lake in Burnett Co.  That was stolen within a week.  My friend made an 8x8' permanent, that got the wood stove and some other stuff stolen out of it.  

For jigging panfish, no they really aren't worth the trouble. 2017 and 2018 were nightmares for getting shantys off the lakes.  But if you go to the same spot all the time and don't mind fishing in a shanty town, then maybe it is right for you.

Very interesting topic!

I love my Eskimo pop up.  Easy to use.  Comfortable.  Portable.  

My buddy has a permanent shack and a couple of us typically help him position it for the year and move it around on occasion.  It too is fun to use and very easy.

I guess I don't see the issue against permanent shacks.  I think the issue is more about owners of those shacks thinking the spot is "theirs" and to be fair, I fish Pewaukee a lot and that has not been an issue.

I think it's more of a fisherman thing than a permanent shack thing.

Is there anything in the DNR regulations regarding how close you can fish to a permanent shanty? If not, I feel like that could be the first step in solving the issue of "fishing too close". Too much grey areas in the regulations... If it clearly stated no fishing within "X" feet of a shack that's one thing, but if there is no specific distance, then why isn't there some sort of fine for permanent shanty owners who throw a fit about it? Similar to disrupting hunting on public lands. Slam them with a $500 fine and lose their fishing privileges for the year (privilege not a right). 

I do feel like there is a big generalization of people who use permanent shanties because not all or even most of them are A-holes. I have no problem with confrontation so if there is a shack in the area I want to fish and no one is in it, I'll pop a hole right next to that thing. When they do show up, usually around 9 or 10 in the morning, 90% of the time they ask how the fishing is and offer a beer or snack and we go about our ways. Only had one guy blow up on me, on a lake that it didn't really matter where you fished because it's loaded, I just happened to be hole hopping in his area. He came out to a line of holes in front of his shanty door the next time he was out fishing. Karma