February 17 through to the 19th, is Free Fishing Weekend in Saskatchewan.

"The province has been offering free fishing weekend in the summer since 1989, just to encourage sport fishing in general," shared Murray Koob, Sport Fish Specialist with the Ministry of Environment. "In 2015, the province introduced wintertime free fishing weekend to encourage participation in ice fishing."

"It's a great family event, get out there and do some ice fishing and especially with the weekend being Family Day Weekend. It's also an excellent chance to appreciate our fisheries resources."

He adds that anyone in the province, resident or visitor is free to fish without a licence, however, fishing limits are still in effect.

"It only pertains to Saskatchewan public waters but national parks are excluded."

He suggests getting a license if you are planning to take the fish out of province and safety is most important.

"We always say to use common sense and put safety first. Always check the ice thickness before you go out and as you're travelling, make sure there's sufficient ice. Check your weather forecast and indicate to someone where you're going so they're aware of what time you'll be back."

Any ice that is slushy in appearance, near moving water, has structures, pressure ridges or layered look to it should be avoided. Sudden temperature changes or the refreezing of thawed ice can also make for unsafe conditions.

Ice needs to be 4" (10 cm) to walk on, 8" (20 cm) for a snowmobile, 12" (30 cm) for a small car and greater than 12" (30 cm) for any larger vehicles.

Regulations, including possession limits, remain in effect for the weekend. A license is required if you plan to take the fish out of province. Fishing Regulations

The free fishing weekend does not apply in national parks.