A few months ago, as summer was fading, I got a call from a friend looking for some advice on building an ice fishing hut. Over the years I’ve built four smelt shanties, my first at age 17, and learned from and improved each one. first piece of advice was simple: if you’re just looking for basic protection from wind and weather, buy a commercially produced canvas unit that’s collapsible and portable. However, serious ice drillers who enjoy comfort, amenities and extra room will benefit greatly from constructing their own personalized fish hut.
I moved my first shanty on and off the ice using either a set of toboggans or a large bobsled, and if there was deep soft snow it was a real chore. All of my future huts were built on a set of wide runners lined with either metal or Teflon, and slid so well a couple of men could pull one if no snowmobile was at hand. If you’re too tired and grouchy to fish once the fish shack has been set up it’s either too large or you forgot to attach skids for easy mobility. While you’re at it, a sturdy metal tow bar attached solidly to the floor framing is a great feature too.
Besides a good size door with a spring closure, a small window in each wall allows sportsmen to keep an eye on the weather, approaching visitors and outside tip-ups while warming up, eating or hand-lining for smelt. I like a good sized fishing hole—at least four-feet long and a foot wide, so the hole in the shanty floor needs to be a few inches wider in all directions. Make the hole too small and the wood gets damaged from the auger or ice chisel every time the ice needs to be opened up for fishing. For ease of movement and safety, a solid cover should fit into the floor opening whenever there’s no fishing in progress.
Some winter anglers prefer small, simple to move huts, perfect for one or two men, but I’m a good-sized guy and want more room inside in case three or four guys want to fish. Moveable bench seats or fold down seats that store flat against the wall when not in use are great features. With this type of seat it’s easy for two anglers to fish from each side of the hut.
My last shanty had an L.P. gas stove in one corner beside the door and a two burner L.P. cook stove on a shelf in the opposite corner. Both were backed by sheet metal to reflect heat inward to prevent fire and produce better heat distribution. Several hooks high above the small stove allowed us to dry wet clothes, and a shelf over the cook stove held tea, coffee, hot chocolate, condiments, matches, paper towels and paper plates and cups. Pots, pans, a skillet and a few utensils hung from nails under the shelf.
On the wall opposite the door, a 2- by 3-foot, fold-down table was hinged to the wall. It could be dropped down and held in place by two detachable legs in about a minute when half of the fishing hole cover was left in place. We could eat, play cribbage or fix-up tackle and still watch our inside smelt lines and outside tip-ups. A small shelf in either far corner from the door is perfect for storing extra fishing gear or a radio or CD player.
One of my buddies built closed-in fishing benches with lift tops on both sides of his hut. He stored kindling and firewood inside one bench and his ice auger, spud and extra traps and gear inside the other bench seat. Utilizing every inch of space is essential in a well-built ice shanty. While Coleman lantern and battery operated lights are viable ideas, since I already had a gas stove for cooking and another for heat, it was simple to run an extra line for a bright gas light or two.
My last shanty was eight feet long, six feet wide and six and one half feet tall, and built in six pieces: four walls, a floor and a roof. I transported the sections on a flat snowsled trailer, cut my hole in the ice with a chain saw, set the floor over the hole on cinder blocks and put the sides and roof together with six inch bolts and wing nuts. It was roomy with lots of amenities, but once in place on a specific lake, that’s where it stayed until season end. Smaller huts may not offer as many features, but if they fit into a pick-up bed it’s simple to move them from lake to lake for different species and peak fishing times on two or three waterways.
Although heavy plastic and corrugated metal can be used for siding, these matertials are colder and more prone to damage during transport and set up. I favor treated plywood with 2-x-4 floor studs and 2-x-2 wall studs and a slightly slanted roof to prevent snow build-up. I’ve seen huts with CDs, TVs and even a recliner, a mini fridge and a microwave! Every ice fishing shanty is a personalized as the angler desires.
Many winter anglers question the need for a fishing hut and shun the extra work they require. My hut allows me to fish regardless of how cold, stormy or dark it is. Being able to go smelt and cusk fishing any evening after work is a great advantage. Preparing and enjoying a warm meal on a frigid day between tending tip-ups is very enjoyable, and beating a buddy at cribbage between flags is just plain fun. Now you know some how-tos and whys about ice fishing shanties, so build your own hut and enjoy winter fishing inside out.
