New England fishers off ice early due to higher temperatures

Erin McCormick 

March 6, 2024

For generations, residents have hauled tiny fishing shacks on to frozen lakes, but milder winters are forcing them to quit early

ew England fishers are on thin ice this winter as warming temperatures force them to abandon their lake perches months ahead of schedule, an alarming reality that could jeopardize the future of a deeply rooted recreational tradition.

Ice fishing is a way of life in places like New Hampshire, where people flock to frozen lakes each winter with their bob-houses in tow.

These little houses – diminutive, hand-built wooden shanties mounted on sled gliders so they can be pulled into the middle of frozen lakes – have long offered protection from the freezing northern winds. In recent years they have become ever more elaborate, with holes built into their floors for hauling in fish, along with heaters, solar panels, lights and even TVs.

But ice fishers are increasingly finding themselves stuck on the lakeside after being forced to abandon their efforts unseasonably early.

On a recent Tuesday in late February, with midwinter temperatures pushing into the balmy 50s, fishers on New Hampshire’s Lake Winnepocket were scrambling to pull their bob-houses off the rapidly melting ice.

To read the full article, click here:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/06/ice-fishing-new-england-bob-houses-climate-change#:~:text=New%20Hampshire-,Higher%20temperatures%20force%20New%20England%20fishers%20off,%3A%20’Global%20warming%20is%20real’&text=New%20England%20fishers%20are,a%20deeply%20rooted%20recreational%20tradition.