Park Bait will remain open through Dec. 26, the second extension of its closure this month.
“Making history,” Stacey Greene-Fenlon texted late Friday. “Never been there for Christmas. Been close but. . . . “
Normally the venerable bait shop at Montrose Harbor shuts down for the winter by early December as the water is turned off. That changed when this utterly mild December settled in. First scheduled closure was Dec. 8, then it extended to Sunday, Dec. 17. Now that was extended another nine days.
That means anglers have a chance to buy, beside bait and tackle, pier and parking passes through Dec. 26 at Park Bait (cash only).
Because of a fire, the Northerly Island Visitor Center remains closed indefinitely. So, beginning Dec. 28, parking passes or pier passes may be bought Thursdays only, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., at the Lincoln Park Cultural Center, 2045 N. Lincoln Park West in Lincoln Park (credit card only, street parking only).
Chicago Park District’s parking passes ($20 for two months) are for the anglers’ parking lots at DuSable and Burnham harbors.
The park district pier passes ($10 for the season) allow legal access to select piers at Jackson Park, Burnham, DuSable, Diversey, Belmont and Montrose harbors.
I would suggest emailing fishing@chicagoparkdistrict.com with questions on the passes.
