The waters in and around the “Windy City” are full of famous freshwater fish. This means that hopping aboard a fishing charter in the Chicago Metropolitan Area, also known as “Chicagoland,” offers up a world of angling opportunities! With a whole host of rivers, reservoirs, and lakes to explore, including the mighty Lake Michigan, there’s no shortage of places to cast your line from.
The Great Lakes are well-known for their incredible Salmon and Trout fisheries, and Lake Michigan is no different. The city of Chicago and its many suburbs are perfectly positioned alongside the lake’s western shoreline. You can hook into Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, and Brown Trout. Perch and Walleye are also popular catches. Visit during the start of spring, and you can partake in the local tradition of Smelt fishing!
Then you have the Chicago River. It flows from the Chicago Harbor straight into the heart of the city, as well as through nearby locales such as Foster, and is surrounded by landmarks such as the Sears Tower and the historic Tribune Building. The most common catches here are Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, and Crappie. You can also head west of Chicago past O’Hare Airport to Busse Lake, which is bustling with Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Pike, and Catfish.
You’ll find local charters dotted all along the lakefront, mostly concentrated around the city of Chicago itself. Guides offer trips that run anywhere from a few hours out on the water to full day trips, so you’ll find something perfectly suited to your needs.
Rules & Regulations
Any angler over the age of 16 needs to carry a valid Illinois license if they want to fish in the Chicago Metropolitan Area. This applies whether you’re fishing alone or on a charter.
Bass (Largemouth)
Bass (Smallmouth)
Brown Trout
Crappie
Lake Trout
Perch (Yellow)
Rainbow Trout (Steelhead)
Salmon (Chinook)
Salmon (Coho)
Walleye
