\u201cLately, the fishing hasn\u2019t been the same \u2026 and we want to change that,\u201d Alex Oquendo, a member of the society, wrote on a GoFundMe<\/a> page.<\/p>\n Disturbances to the water from the pedal boats make it murky and cloudy, which can impair fish\u2019s vision, disorient them and hinder their feeding, as well as cause them physical stress as they swim in strong currents.<\/p>\n Most detrimental to the ecosystem, the boats\u2019 spinning pedals rip up the vegetation that is growing under the water and floating to the surface, anglers say, causing ripple effects on the fish that use the plants as shelter and a food source.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s like someone taking away your grocery store and going, \u2018Well, good luck!’\u201d Green said.<\/p>\n Wheel Fun Rentals, the California-based company that owns the swan boats, didn\u2019t make them available at the park last summer due to declining rentals and inconsistent restroom access, said Rodney Knight, managing partner of Wheel Fun. But the company hopes a new restaurant set to open in the boathouse at 1301 N. Humboldt Park Drive will increase business and solve the restroom issue, he said.<\/p>\n Now, the fishing complaints have raised new challenges.<\/p>\n \u201cThis kind of just developed in the last couple months,\u201d Knight said, referring to discussions about the boats\u2019 ecosystem impacts. \u201cAnd so, you know, we\u2019re still doing a little bit of navigating as well.\u201d<\/p>\n According to the Chicago Park District, the boats are restricted to the launch and water only and are not being landed or pedaled along the shoreline, where a lot of vegetation is concentrated.\u00a0<\/strong>A spokesperson said that \u201cthe ecological health of the site has not been affected\u201d when the swan boats have been active, based on observations from the natural resources team.<\/p>\n But the lagoon is not that deep, and the vegetation in the middle suffers from the boats, the anglers say.\u00a0For instance, water lilies can grow as tall as 6 feet underwater. According to park district records, its average depth is 4.5 feet, with some areas slightly exceeding 5 or 6 feet, Green said.<\/p>\n \u201cThese pedal mechanisms on the bottom, the way they turn, that yanks and pulls the plants in the shallow water,\u201d said Amy Vega, president of the Humboldt Park Advisory Council.<\/p>\n Located in a 197-acre<\/a> urban oasis, the lagoon has experienced plenty of pressures from human intervention, including the dumping of pets, such as domestic ducks<\/a>, reptiles and fish. In 2019, a 5-foot-3 alligator, presumed to have been an abandoned exotic pet and later dubbed Chance the Snapper, was caught<\/a> in the lagoon after evading capture<\/a> for a week.<\/p>\n An alligator named Chance the Snapper\u00a0navigates the waters of Humboldt Park Lagoon on July 9, 2019, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Officials search for alligator Chance the Snapper in the Humboldt Park Lagoon, July 10, 2019, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n People try to spot alligator Chance the Snapper in Chicago’s Humboldt Park Lagoon, July 11, 2019. (Chris Sweda\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n A sign warns visitors at the Humboldt Park Lagoon of an alligator seen in the water, July 11, 2019. (Jos\u00e9 M. Osorio\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Professional alligator trapper Frank Robb of Florida displays Chance the Snapper after the alligator eluded capture for a week in the Humboldt Park Lagoon. A press conference was held near the park’s boathouse in Chicago on July 16, 2019. (Jos\u00e9 M. Osorio\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Show Caption<\/p>\n 1 of 5<\/p>\n An alligator named Chance the Snapper\u00a0navigates the waters of Humboldt Park Lagoon on July 9, 2019, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n Expand<\/a><\/p>\n The Illinois Department of Natural Resources caught three bighead carp in the lagoon in 2012.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes, you\u2019d be walking on the bank, and you\u2019d be looking in the water. You\u2019d go, \u2018What the heck is that thing?\u2019 A big, submarine-type silhouette,\u201d Green said. \u201c\u2018What is that? Holy crap!’\u201d<\/p>\n Dubbed the Big Three, each weighing around 50 pounds, the fish found a new home at the Shedd Aquarium<\/a>\u2018s Great Lakes exhibit. But just a few years ago, an urban angler caught a bighead carp weighing in at 72 pounds<\/a>.<\/p>\n Bighead carp is considered an invasive species<\/a> in the United States, where it was introduced in the second half of the 20th century to improve water quality in Arkansas aquaculture facilities and sewage ponds. After extreme flooding events in the 1980s and 1990s, the fish escaped into the Mississippi River basin, and, alongside silver carp, bighead remain the most detrimental to aquatic environments. A voracious eater, bighead carp outcompetes native species for food, and can regularly reach 40 pounds and top 100 pounds.<\/p>\n Before the waterfowl-shaped vessels moved to the West Side neighborhood in 2018, they operated on the Lincoln Park South Pond<\/a> from the end of the 19th century until a zoo-led restoration project began in 2008. Staff told the Tribune<\/a> that the boats were removed so as not to hinder new plants\u00a0that needed several years to regrow and stabilize.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of the species that live kind of at the water\u2019s edge, that are partially submerged, or are sometimes underwater and sometimes above, can be very fragile,\u201d said Seth Magle, senior director of the Lincoln Park Zoo Urban Wildlife Institute<\/a>. \u201cI can imagine that if you had swan boats going in and out of the water all the time, sort of churning up the water there on the banks, it could potentially be harmful to those species.\u201d<\/p>\n While he only joined the zoo in 2009, Magle said it has been gratifying to see the area transform from \u201cbeing a dirt pit to this incredible oasis.\u201d The 12 acres, which people can enjoy from Lincoln Park\u2019s Nature Boardwalk, are abundant with native prairie and wetland plants that replaced the concrete edge of the pond, which the zoo stocked with three fish species: bluegills<\/a>, smallmouth bass and pumpkinseed.<\/p>\n The South Pond was also stocked with painted turtles, but nowadays, there are at least six other species, including snapping turtles, spiny turtles and softshell turtles. Hundreds of migratory birds, including a wild nesting population of state-endangered black-crowned night herons<\/a> at the zoo, use the pond to find food.<\/p>\n \u201cThe swan boats were really part of an aesthetic,\u201d Magle said, \u201cor part of a philosophy that was more kind of people just using nature, just recreating in nature for their own benefit, not really thinking about the impacts on the plants and the animals.\u201d<\/p>\n The pond was reimagined with native plants, with most space surrounding the nature boardwalk intended primarily for wildlife, he said.<\/p>\n Green wants similar attention paid to the lagoon.<\/p>\n \u201cThey got kicked out of Lincoln Park because they messed up their ecosystem,\u201d Green said. \u201cSo what do they do? They throw them in Humboldt Park.\u201d<\/p>\n Vega, of the park\u2019s advisory council, said the fishing and boating priorities can be resolved with proper collaboration.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s get everybody to the table, because if they\u2019re able to communicate and collaborate effectively, this can be something that\u2019s a model for when they do this in other areas,\u201d she said. \u201cHere\u2019s how we fixed it, here\u2019s what we did.\u201d<\/p>\n The anglers say they are fine with the swan boats being used on the east side of the lagoon, which is separated from the rest of the lagoon by the North Humboldt Drive bridge. A few years ago, the Park District put up a chain under the bridge to rope off access to the west part of the lagoon \u2014 a measure anglers hope can be reinstated and enforced more intentionally as restocking occurs.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s where we want to put the fish in, so that way they have a chance to nest and be safe,\u201d Green said, referring to the west side of the lagoon.<\/p>\n Other suggestions, Vega said, include establishing better signage around the lagoon and ensuring guidance from the vendor to customers, \u201cLike, letting people know there are fishers in the area, please keep an eye out for lines \u2014 and also don\u2019t go past a certain area.\u201d<\/p>\n Knight said Wheel Fun is eager to cooperate.<\/p>\n \u201cAll of those things are back on the table,\u201d said Knight. \u201cI mean, we\u2019ll do whatever we have to do to help the fishing community there, because that is a big deal.\u201d<\/p>\n Wheel Fun Rentals, which offers a variety of rental experiences in water bodies across the country, has previously had to balance ecological needs with its recreation offerings. In 2018, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources confirmed invasive zebra mussels<\/a> were present in a Minneapolis lake, Bde Maka Ska, where Wheel Fun Rentals offers swan boats and kayaks<\/a>.<\/p>\n The invasive mussels filter plankton from the water, essentially eliminating the base of the food chain and causing a food shortage for native fish. In Bde Maka Ska, those fish include bluegill, crappies, muskies, northern pike, largemouth bass and walleye, which also support a strong urban fishing community<\/a>.<\/p>\n Once the zebra mussels become established in a new body of water, it is \u201cnearly impossible to eliminate,\u201d according to state officials<\/a>, meaning the best way to limit their negative effects is to prevent their spread, which often occurs as they hitchhike on the bottom of recreational boats.<\/p>\n Knight said the state had determined the swan boats were the likeliest to spread the mussels across the lake, so the rental company adjusted its guidelines.<\/p>\n \u201cWe did a similar thing as in Humboldt (Park), where the people had to stay on a certain part of the body of water, to not go under a bridge, and there was a fine involved if they did,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s been successful.\u201d<\/p>\n As of Sunday, the fishing society had raised over $1,500 \u2014 almost twice as much as 10 years ago \u2014 and plans to restock the lagoon in May.<\/p>\n The\u00a0group is eyeing a $1,200\u00a0package from a local hatchery that includes hundreds of minnows and bluegills, and at least 80 bass, numbers that would allow the food system to sustain itself. The group is most interested in the latter as game fish that can be caught and released.<\/p>\n \u201cThe bluegill would feed on the minnows, and the bass would feed on the bluegills, and help that population grow,\u201d Oquendo said.<\/p>\n According to the Park District, the IDNR restocks its ponds and lagoons across the city, and the species, quantity and frequency vary each year. According to an agency spokesperson, the primary game species restocked in the Humboldt Park Lagoon,<\/strong> as part of the state\u2019s Urban and Community Fishing\u00a0<\/a>Program<\/a>,<\/strong>\u00a0are channel catfish and hybrid sunfish,\u00a0the latter usually a crossbreed between bluegill and green sunfish that doesn\u2019t reproduce fast enough to sustain its population. The spokesperson did not say whether they stock other game fish, like bass, or non-game fish.<\/p>\n But stocking, the agency says, tends to happen periodically rather than on a fixed annual schedule.<\/p>\n The decisions on what to stock, how much and how often are made based on periodic lagoon and angler surveys to understand the abundance of fish and the pressures a population is experiencing in a given body of water.<\/p>\n \u201cUsing this information, biologists determine appropriate stocking rates that help maintain a stable and sustainable fish population, while also supporting a consistent and enjoyable fishing experience for the public,\u201d the department spokesperson said.<\/p>\n Green said he sees helping reestablish\u00a0the game fish population of the lagoon as a legacy he can leave the park.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not getting younger. With my illness here, I\u2019m thinking, you know, I got to get this going again,\u201d the septuagenarian said. \u201cWe\u2019re very fortunate to have these waters.\u201d<\/p>\n Oquendo recalled being incredulous when he first learned some years ago about the opportunities for recreational fishing at the lagoon. \u201cAre you serious?\u201d he asked his friend back then.<\/p>\n Recreation on the Humboldt Park Lagoon \u2014 whether fishing for smallmouth bass or pedaling swan boats \u2014 allows people to connect with nature.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople want to engage in the water,\u201d Knight said, and the swan boats offer stable, safe recreation for users of all ages. \u201cWe do a lot of kayak, paddle board rentals, but the pedal boats, specifically \u2014 grandpa, grandma, the more mature crowd feels more comfortable with them, and they can take grandkids with.\u201d<\/p>\n Some hope offering family friendly recreation on the water can help dispel preconceptions about crime and public safety in the park.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo, three decades ago, the park kind of had a bad stigma,\u201d Oquendo said. \u201cSo, you know, bringing the people over and getting more people involved at the park and hanging out, gives it a better reputation and makes it a nicer environment. People know that, hey, you can bring your kids here. You don\u2019t have to worry about anything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ctc-l-chance-the-snapper-sanchez.jpg\"\/)
\n![\"Officials](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ctc-l-chance-the-snapper-search.jpg?w=620\")
\n![\"People](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ctc-l-humboldt-park014.jpg?w=620\")
\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ctc-l-alligator-humboldt-park.jpg?w=620\")
\n![\"Professional](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ctc-l-chance-the-snapper.jpg?w=620\")
\n![\"James](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ctc-l-humboldt-park-lagoon-15.jpg\")
James Hardy casts a fishing rod at the Humboldt Park Lagoon, May 2, 2026, in Chicago. A lifelong Chicagoan, Hardy, 67, said he has been fishing the lagoon for 22 years, mostly for catfish and bluegill. (John J. Kim\/Chicago Tribune)
\n![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777929368_254_ctc-l-humboldt-park-lagoon-13.jpg\")
Two people take pictures while renting a swan pedal boat at the Humboldt Park Lagoon, May 2, 2026, in Chicago. (John J. Kim\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n![\"Swan](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ctc-l-humboldt-park-lagoon-12.jpg\")
Swan pedal boats are docked at the Humboldt Park Lagoon Saturday, May 2, 2026, in Chicago. (John J. Kim\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ctc-general-feature-050226-02.jpg\")
A gosling quartet drinks from a muddy puddle at Humboldt Park Saturday, May 2, 2026, in Chicago. (John J. Kim\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n