By Ellen Fox

You don’t have to leave town anymore to spend a day waterside with the rod and reel. Yes, you can go fishing right here in Chicago—on the Lake as well as on the much-maligned Chicago River—and this summer the folks at the Chicago Park District are seeing to it that you’re encouraged to catch some.

“Clean-up efforts have revitalized the water and revitalized the fish,” says Park District special project manager Bob Long (“the fishing guy”), and over the last few years, word of better fishing has really gotten around, says Henry Palmisano of Brideport’s stalwart Henry’s Sports & Bait Shop. Should you need any more proof of the renaissance, the prestigious Bassmaster Classic will be held along the Lakeshore—its first time in Chicago ever—this July. Read the rest of this entry »

Although there’s no guarantee that some hot-shot kid on a jet-ski won’t cut you off, a lazy sojourn on the lake in a sailboat or a windsurfer is a sure way to unwind from commuter stress and city fever. Because on the lake, no one can hear you scream (which is fine if you are wearing the right floatation device.) A leisurely couple of hours out on the lake offers a lesson in re-evaluating the city, often from a perspective that too few people take advantage of, far away from the hustle and bustle, and with a clear view of the skyline that makes the sometimes overwhelming bigness of it all seem small again. For the land-lubbing urbanite there is a bevy of options for water sports activities, from renting jet-skis, catamarans and sailboats to scuba gear to plumb the murky bottom for tires, treasure and “missing” teamster officials. The following is just a partial list of the many options for water-sports summer fun. Read the rest of this entry »