Chicago bait shop has been a lakefront staple for 90 years — here’s why it still hooks generations

Park Bait: A classic Chicago business turns 90 at Montrose Harbor | ChicagoNOW

You know those places in Chicago that just feel like they've been there forever, where everyone knows everyone by name? We're talking to someone who's been opening shop at 4 a.m. for years, carrying on a family business that's been part of the lakefront for 90 years: Stacey Greene-Fenlon from Park Bait. ChicagoNOW is a fast-paced, conversational show that spotlights what’s trending in and around Chicago.

CHICAGO - Along the scenic shores of Montrose Harbor, a Chicago institution quietly continues a nearly century-old tradition. 

Park Bait Shop, nestled against the lakefront and known by anglers across generations, has served the city’s fishing community since the 1930s. 

Today, Stacey Greene-Fenlon carries the torch for a family-run business that has become as iconic as the waters it sits beside.

Greene-Fenlon's connection to the shop is deeply personal. Her father took over the lease in 1958 after returning from the Navy and wholesaling bait throughout the city. 

All the Essentials for Chicago Fishermen

What we know:

Park Bait Shop is a one-stop shop for everything an angler could need. 

"..all the bait and tackle we got here. So we sell all kinds of live bait: minnows, crabs, worms, crabs, crayfish, not the kind of crabs you see in the ocean, but crayfish," said Greene-Fenlon.

Inside, two enormous tanks (5,000 and 10,000 gallons) hold bait in pristine condition, a testament to the shop's old-school, hands-on methods. Greene-Fenlon vividly remembers helping her father collect minnows and crayfish from nearby rivers and lakes.

"So he'd actually go to different rivers, uh, even actually the same minnows right here in the lake. They used to have so many minnows in Lake Michigan right here. He would send them at Montrose or in the corner by Monroe and different rivers, Illinois River, Fox River. They get up early in the morning, get the bait truck out there, chum for minnows, take a big net, walk out, send them in. Fill up the buckets, put them in the truck, drive back in, drop them off here in the tanks," said Greene-Fenlon. 

Still, even in a world dominated by Amazon and big-box retailers, Park Bait Shop remains resilient. 

"You know, of course, every business has its own trials and tribulations. Yeah, you know, there are a lot of guys that buy things online and there's a lot things, but live bait, you kind of got to get to use live. So you can't really deal with distributing minnows and kinds of worms like that. I mean, some guys can order them, but it's more so, right now, you got to have them," said Greene-Fenlon. "A lot of people in the neighborhood and loyal customers like to have a small business like this in the neighborhood, so they, they continue to come in, and I even have people that just go out here to go to the bird sanctuary or just ride by on a bike, just to stop in, they'll buy just a water, just because they want to support a local small business."

What sets Park Bait apart is its soul. 

"That used to be something my father loved to just sit in the corner as he got older and hear the stories of, ‘My grandpa used to bring me here,’ so now that I'm getting older, and I hear all those stories," said Greene-Fenlon.

Hours and Address:

The shop is located at 600 W Montrose Ave. and is open most mornings starting at 5 a.m. The shop remains open from March through early December, weather permitting. 

Winter closures are a necessity.

"This building is still from the front of the building, other than this part where I'm sitting is still 1934 or 35 walls. There's no insulation. It's just plywood and two-by-fours, and so there's no heat or anything, so we have to drain everything and winterize the building, so, we can't be here all winter, but, and back in the old days they didn't do a lot of winter fishing, they do lots more now, unfortunately, it is hard to be here though," said Greene-Fenlon.
 

A Must-Visit for Locals and Tourists Alike

Why you should care:

Located right off Montrose Harbor, Park Bait Shop isn’t just a resource for anglers: it’s a slice of Chicago history. 

It’s where stories are shared, traditions are passed down, and generations meet over a shared love of the lake.