The only way to explain it is that this is the bait shop by the lake that you'd imagine in your head as what the the perfect bait shop by the lake would be like. The guys there know the city, county, whole state and region so well. They sure know fishing- duh, it's a bait shop. That's sort of the vibe but kindly. And they have every bait, tackle, hook line and sinker out there. It's like a surreal magic shop. And the love bait is stupendous. Cheap pets for children! read more

Great service they gave us a discount and the ATM worked I would come back if I need more gear to fish with

HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE. Tiny bait and tackle shop. Guy behind counter was rude, condescending and snarky. Don't ask him about fishing. Don't ask about public bathrooms. Don't interrupt his TikTok time. PUBLIC RESTROOMS Yes, they ARE in the blue and white building just over yonder. Yes, you can drive up to them if you need handicap parking. Don't bother asking about anything having to do with bait and tackle. He's busy. And he's angry. And I definitely won't be back. read more

Park Bait - Fishing Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

An amazing park bait shop. Cash only but they have an ATM. It's old school, they're helpful, and they carry everything you need. Being right on montrose harbor make this also convenient if you're in a boat already. The owner is great and everyone is nice and as helpful as can be. read more

The only place to grab your fishing gear for a great experience, have been coming here for years and years, and many more to come

Love this bait shop!!! They've been around for a long time.Ever since I first started fishing I've been going to Park Bait.They open up REALLY EARLY.Many times I've been there well before sunrise and there is fishermen in there like myself getting loaded up.They do a great job of giving fishing reports and tips on what the fish are biting on and where.They get all the info from their customers that come in.They have many varieties of live bait as well as artificial lures.Prices are reasonable.Staff is always helpful.Definitely worth stopping in.Fish bite all year round. ;-) read more

On a rare beautiful fall afternoon, friend and I were looking to do some casual fishing. To my knowledge this is the only shop right along the lake, and definitely one of the few bait shops in the city, but, it has anything you could ever need to fish. I know nothing about fishing or the equipment required. Luckily the owner was knowledgeable and so helpful. For about $25 my friend and I were able to get rods, bait, weights, and other thingymabobs, I'm not even sure what some of the pieces were. He set up the hook and lines for us, and even helped us get a license for the day. Apparently Montrose Harbor is one of the best places to fish in the city of Chicago, who knew?! Highly recommend checking out this little shop if you're serious into the sport or just looking for a fun afternoon activity. You can get everything right there, and can't beat the location steps away from the lake. read more

Got coffee and donuts here on a cold day at Montrose. No, you do not want their coffee or their donuts, well, maybe you do, given the lack of other vendors in the park. However, if you have children or are babysitting children, visit the bait shop! Then go fishing, or do something else. Service was great. While we were there, a man and his son checked out many different kinds of bait together. The counter guy was patient and helpful. They sell all sorts of live bait, including maggots and leeches. They also sell some fishing equipment and bags of ice. It may be expensive for you to put together an impromptu fishing expedition, but, my impression was that $20 would get you a good low tech line, hook, bait package. Se habla espanol. btw coffee was warm brown decaf water. But they gave us a bag full of cream, sugar, and coffee stirrers. You may have to request regular coffee. Donut choices include glazed, chocolate frosted and vanilla frosted longjohns. They were like truckstop donuts. read more

I am not a good fisherman/woman but I enjoy to fish. My skills and knowledge of what actually constitutes a good fishing method are null and I own a Batman themed fishing rod. Enough said. That said - I was a little intimidated to go to this Bait Shop. I didn' t want someone to think I was a idiot and upsell me. The owner was really nice and asked the different locations we were fishing at that day and recommended bait based on our locations. Frozen crawfish (YUCK) for Montrose Harbor and minnows and nightcrawlers for Belmont Harbor. Prices were cheaper than getting nightcrawers at Petco or Petsmart. The only draw back is it is faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar down Montrose. If you google map it, it looks like it right on Montrose and LSD so we took this bus - so if you plan on doing that, you'll be going on a 10-15 minute walk so brace yourself. Better to get there by bike if you are close enough. read more

Only good thing here is convenient location to get bait. Not much else offered and the opening times are not always consistent. Do call ahead! read more

I'm a fan of all bait shops. This is the only one I've been to in Chicago, and it's solid. They have a good supply of live bait. They can tell you what the word is on the lake- gave me some good advice for my first attempt at hooking up with a king or a trout from shore. Only looses one star because the gear is a little more expensive than you would pay in the burbs- or in the sticks for that matter, which is where I'm from. But what do you expect from a bait shop in Chicago? This is a one-stop shop sort of place, so if you need all of your supplies and some advice on how to hook up with a leviathan- this is a great place to go. read more

I haven't fished since moving here 3 years ago and needed a fishing license so I stopped in to get the license and pick the guys brains for some fishing advice. Unfortunately my timing was terrible and I hit them during a kind of busy time when they really needed to assist others. However, they assured me that they'd answer my questions, but that they'd need to assist the other customers and fit my questions in between customers. I thought this was a very acceptable way to handle my questions during a time when they were kind of busy. The guys were knowledgeable and I appreciated them taking the time to educate me some. The only negative aspect of going here was that the store had a much smaller selection of hooks, lures, etc. than I would have expected from a baitshop. However, they did have the items that people were requesting so I guess they must have a pretty accurate feel for what their customers need. I'm sure I'll be coming back and would not hesitate to recommend this place to other fishermen/wormen! read more

Great and convenient little bait shop for your fishing needs before dropping your line in or around Montrose harbor. Always willing to tell you what's being caught and what to use. read more

Let me start out by saying I know absolutely nothing about fishing. Found a few old poles in our garage and decided to venture out to Montrose harbor to fish with a girlfriend. The shop is a small green shack and I've driven by it on numerous occasions but never really paid attention to it. They have lots of fishing stuff on the walls and even more in display cases. I was a little embarrassed walking in knowing nothing but the young, dark haired man with the beard, (Brian, I think?) greeted us with a smile and was more than happy to help us out. We explained our situation and he gave us the bait we needed and told us where to go. He even went out of his way to set up our fishing poles and gave us a quick 101 on how to use them. This place has everything you need to catch fish and the employees have a great deal of knowledge that they are more than willing to share. THIS PLACE IS CASH ONLY!! So we had to go to an ATM come back, but that's no big deal considering how wonderful our experience turned out to be. We've just concluded our fishing adventure and I caught my first fish here at Montrose. It was a salmon! 100,000 stars for the customer service here! This is exactly what separates Ma and Pa run shops from big box stores. Brian spent more than an hour explaining everything we needed to know as beginners, and we will definitely be coming here for all our future fishing needs. Thanks Park Bait!! read more

Did business for over 40 years with Montrose bait shop. I know all the past and present shop keepers. Always willing to help you out and give you a reliable fishing report of the lake front. A little bit expensive but that's life. A mess of perch fillets are worth the $ you spend on bait. Watch out for the black birds!! They will fly in and steal your full cup of maggies everytime . Guard them with your life!! Especially if you don't have another $ 2.00 and another long walk back to the bait shop!! Respect the old timers ! Got questions and need advice ? Ask those gentlemen. They have the secrets and technique of generations of the best fisherman known to all of Chicago land. And put your beer bottles in the trash please!!! Good luck all !!!!!!! read more

Excellent bait shop, very reasonably priced and helpful! Huge selection of live bait and lures etc. Great family business.

Poor customer service. Male store clerks are not very helpful esp. when you have a question about fishing gear or tips. The lady store clerk last summer (june) was very nice though. Better head to Dick's or Cabela's instead. They have better customer support and have a friendlier buying atmosphere.. read more