On a recent Saturday, Montrose Harbor was alive with the spirit of adventure as 6-year-old Jojo diverted her attention between the roly-poly she spotted on the ground and her bright pink Barbie fishing rod.
Meanwhile, her 10-year-old brother, Andrew, was concentrated on his fishing line while keeping a strategic distance from his little sister.
Despite the large carp swimming just below the surface, the fish were not interested in biting that evening.
“Patience,” advised their father, Ben Maggos, who wears Crocs.
This sentiment encapsulates the essence of fishing outings with children, according to Ben Maggos, a 46-year-old Chicagoan.
For parents, aspects like baiting hooks, providing casting instruction, untangling lines, and dealing with stray hooks often take precedence over their own fishing ambitions.
Many adults carry fond memories of catching their first fish alongside parents or grandparents, igniting a lifelong passion for nature and the outdoors.
Perhaps surprisingly, Chicago and its surrounding areas—suburban Cook County and nearby collar counties—boast a wealth of fishing opportunities.
There are 13 stocked park lagoons, various ponds, numerous Chicago River piers, and 22 miles of scenic shoreline featuring nine harbors along Lake Michigan, perfect for family fishing adventures.
With improvements in cleanup efforts, stricter regulations, and public investments in outdoor spaces, fishing has become an enjoyable pastime for many, and for some, a source of dinner.
However, inexperienced anglers may want to focus on catch-and-release practices.
Here’s a guide to eight outstanding places to fish with kids in and around Chicago.
**1. Chicago River**
Fresh lakewater and the fish that travel with it flow into the Chicago River at two locations—at the head of the Northshore Channel in Wilmette and from the locks downtown.
Among the fish species you can find here are bass (both largemouth and smallmouth), crappie, catfish, perch, drum, and sizable carp, which are frequently caught using bread and corn.
Families can easily head to the downtown Riverwalk to cast a line and potentially catch a nice bass or catfish.
Introduced in 2005 by Friends of the Chicago River, a unique “fish hotel,” which is a floating island of plants, evolved into The Jetty.
This fishing platform, located between Orleans and Wells streets, features floating wetlands, underwater fish habitats, and offers a free park district program from Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., providing equipment, bait, and instruction for budding anglers until late September.
Additional access points along the Chicago River include a pier at Clark Park, along with a pier and open shoreline at River Park, where a dam was removed in 2018 to allow unrestricted fish movement along the north branch.
For those venturing to the south branch, Ping Tom Park in Chinatown is home to a fishing pier.
**2. Lake Michigan**
There’s hardly a more iconic starting point for fishing than Park Bait in Montrose Harbor, a 67-year-old bait shop known as the city’s longest-running concessionaire.
Owned and operated by the Greene family for three generations, it serves as a go-to spot for many North Side anglers.
During a recent Saturday afternoon, the shop buzzed with activity as customers sought supplies and advice from the lone employee, Stacey’s son, Cory Gecht.
An Asian customer purchased two crawfish for a final fishing attempt at Belmont Harbor, while a group of Latino men awaited fishing licenses for a charter.
A curious senior citizen questioned whether a fishing license truly costs $950 (it does not; it’s only $9.50, as the decimals were overlooked).
In essence, bait shops offer more than just earthworms; they serve as knowledge hubs, disseminating information about what fish are biting and where to find them.
During the summer, anglers frequently catch perch, along with large and smallmouth bass, silver bass, freshwater drum (also known as sheepshead), and carp at Montrose.
Seasonal opportunities arise in the fall for larger species like salmon and trout.
Montrose Point and Harbor provide free parking and significant lakefront access featuring a long concrete pier that juts northward and curves into a fishhook shape; it’s only a 10-minute walk from parking to the pier with gear in tow.
As Greene emphasizes, sometimes “it is fishing, not catching” on the lake.
Since fish are more dispersed, acquiring knowledge and skill is essential, and younger children may struggle with the inherent waiting time involved in fishing.
Instead, Gecht suggests that kids might find more success at the actual boat harbor in the southern section of Montrose Park, where fish congregate and invasive gobies often bite.
Gecht adds that feeding the invasive gobies to the gulls adds an extra layer of excitement.
An ADA-accessible wooden fishing pier is located at the harbor’s foot, although fishing from any sand beach in Chicago is prohibited.
Several other fishing access points along Lake Michigan include Belmont Harbor, Diversey Harbor (which features lagoons in Lincoln Park), Navy Pier (north side), Northerly Island, Burnham Park, Promontory Point, and Steelworkers Park on 87th Street.
These locations are accessible via a combination of CTA public transit, cycling, and rideshare services.
Caution is advised, as many lakefront areas lack guard rails; small children should wear life jackets for safety.
**3. Palmisano Park**
Palmisano Park was named after the owner of a legendary bait shop, now closed, but today it’s a thriving fishing spot thanks to Daniel Edwards at Bridgeport Bait and Tackle on South Halsted Street.
Edwards’ enthusiasm for fishing captivates both children and adults alike.
Born and raised in the neighborhood, he recalls riding his bike to McKinley Park every summer to catch fish in the lagoon.
On a recent Friday, Edwards entertained crowds by hosting crawfish races and giving away free bait for kids participating in the family fishing program run by the park district and the Shedd Aquarium.
Edwards often directs young anglers to various spots along the Chicago River in Bridgeport and the deep quarry pond located in the northwest corner of Palmisano Park.
This pond has recently yielded impressive catches, including a massive lunker largemouth bass.
Palmisano Park provides a metal pier and a small shoreline for fishing.
Free parking is available around the park, and the Halsted Orange Line CTA station is within walking distance.
On a recent Friday, families were seen purchasing fishing rods and bait for excursions at Park 571 on Eleanor Street in Bridgeport, where a small parking lot and pier are also available.
Just across the river from the park lies Canal Origins Park and Canalport Riverwalk, providing separate fishing locations in the neighborhood where the river merges with Bubbly Creek and the Sanitary and Ship Canal.
Though there is no designated parking at these spots, biking is a practical option.
Ongoing restoration and improvement projects aim to enhance these areas, including the installation of floating islands by Urban Rivers to filter water and create fish habitats.
**4. West Ridge Nature Park**
For novice anglers and the youngest fishing enthusiasts, West Ridge Nature Park on Chicago’s North Side is an ideal location to begin.
Opened in 2015, this enchanting nature park features a modest pond that promises frequent nibbles and bites, keeping young anglers engaged.
The primary fish species here include sunfish and bullheads, making fishing beginner-friendly.
A small path accommodates visitors around the pond with a few bump-outs to enjoy the view.
Parking is accessible along Western Avenue.
Additional fishing sites in the Chicago Park District are listed on the park district fishing webpage.
Recommendations for family-friendly fishing spots include the Lincoln Park rowing lagoon, Jackson Park (located south of the Museum of Science and Industry), and Douglass Park on the West Side.
**5. Skokie Lagoons**
Extending over 242 forested acres, the interconnected Skokie Lagoons, fed by the Skokie River, are a prolific fishing resource stretching from Northbrook to Winnetka.
Anglers can head to a barrier-free, ADA-accessible fishing wall situated off Tower Road, just east of the Edens Expressway, for a convenient starting point.
Free parking is available for visitors.
**6. Busse Reservoir**
Busse Reservoir is a sprawling 457-acre fishing hotspot, even larger than the Skokie Lagoons, and is lauded as one of the top fishing destinations within Cook County.
Fed by Salt Creek, this expansive fishing area features 20 miles of shoreline across three interconnected pools.
Fishing enthusiasts can utilize six fishing walls, some of which are ADA accessible (located at Beisner Road, Main Dam, and West), to target a diverse fish population that includes abundant sunfish, walleye, and muskie.
The reservoir is also stocked with trout during the fall.
Visitors to Busse Reservoir can purchase or rent fishing supplies and boats from the boating center, and all parking is free.
**7. Beaubien Woods**
Located near East 130th Street in Riverdale, Beaubien Woods features two sites with accessible fishing piers on different bodies of water.
Recent enhancements to the boat launch include new facilities, with indoor restrooms being added soon.
The Calumet River system is prominent in this area, connecting to Lake Michigan and hosting both river and lake fish species.
Flatfoot Lake, a former strip mine turned 19-acre lake, is home to common inland species like sunfish and bullheads, with depths reaching up to 15 feet in areas.
Each year, this lake is stocked with catchable hybrid sunfish via the state’s urban fishing program, one of only three in Cook County.
**8. Collar Counties**
Within the collar counties of the Chicago region, rivers have benefitted from recent water quality enhancements and dam removal efforts.
The Little Calumet, Des Plaines, DuPage, and Fox Rivers have all seen improvements, with the DuPage River evolving into a smallmouth bass haven.
Access points to these waterways can be easily found throughout the forest preserves.
In DuPage County, both Herrick Lake in Wheaton and Silver Lake in Warrenville—located only three miles apart—are suitable for young children.
The 22-acre Herrick Lake offers free parking, small boat rentals on weekends, and a bait vending machine.
Recently, first-time anglers as young as 6 were seen catching sunfish plentifully at Herrick Lake.
Silver Lake boasts 62 acres, complemented by two smaller bodies of water known as White and Sand Ponds, and features free parking, a pier, shoreline trails, and a variety of stocked fish that thrive amidst man-made structures.
At the Hidden Lakes Trout Farm, adjacent to Whalon Lake and the east branch of the DuPage River in Bolingbrook, children can fish for sunfish in several lagoons.
Just over a footbridge and up a hill leads to Whalon Lake, which features an 80-acre former gravel pit stocked with walleye and other species.
With a full 1.5-mile shoreline, this area offers an attractive location for children and accessible bank fishing options.
An ADA-compliant fishing pier further enhances accessibility for anglers with special needs.
In conclusion, whether at Montrose Harbor or one of the many other fishing spots scattered throughout Chicago and its suburbs, families can find numerous opportunities to create lasting memories while introducing children to the joy of fishing.
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