The Yelon and Waukegan Harbor statement that there is an accessible kayak launch is false. The…read morelaunch is 30' into the lake, tied to a revetment that users cannot access without walking through 3' of Waukegan Harbor water. it looks like it was destroyed by winter ice. Don't go there.

Great place to fish or just be out in the water relaxing. We got a charter & went fishing in Sept…read more 2018, fortunately for us the weather was great. It was trout season so we caught some huge Lake Trout(see pics) that we ended up grilling that night. Was told by the Captain that salmon season is in June so definitely will be coming back for that. You're welcome to bring your own snacks & drinks, check with your charter to see if they allow booze on board. Happy Fishing!

Independence Grove is such a nice forest preserve with lots of things to do especially in the…read moresummer time. Beautiful trails to walk/run along but they also have a playground for kids. They have a beer garden and snack shop. They also have water activities that you can rent like paddle boats and kayaks. It's just a nice place to go solo or with friends if you are looking to connect with nature for a bit.

Independence Grover is very much a Beautiful Paradise to My Husband & I. We discovered this great…read morenature center when we shopped at a thrift store I like. There are many fish by the tables if you bring something to eat. The bathrooms are very clean & close by. The natural nature is gorgeous! People can rent boats too. The paths are nice to walk on & this is a huge place! Plenty of parking in each section. Fishing as well. I seen there is a beach by the tables to eat at. Very cute. Peaceful too. We live in Chicago & many of our nature areas are very crowded. Even if it would get busy there is enough room for everyone here. I love it!! The plants & flowers are Amazing! I do wish we lived closer. If you have not made a visit please do.

Captain Rick sure knows his business. He is very professional and delivered on the services and a…read moregreat haul of fish!

Unforgettable Father-Son Salmon Fishing Experience…read more This was our first time salmon fishing on the lake, and it couldn't have been a better experience. From the moment we booked, everything was smooth and professional. Captain Rick made the process easy--he was responsive, informative, and his communication was excellent every step of the way. Before the trip, he thoroughly explained what to expect and answered all our questions. Once we were out on the water, his instructions were clear, easy to follow, and made us feel confident even as first-timers. Captain Rick's expertise and patience made a huge difference. We ended up catching our limit, which was the icing on the cake. The value for the charter was excellent considering the quality of service, gear, and overall experience. I would absolutely recommend this trip to anyone--from beginners to seasoned anglers--and we're already looking forward to going back again!

Offshore contacted Eddyline and changed their order with them so I could have two matching colored…read morekayaks, a Caribbean 12 FS and a Caribbean 14 FS, and delivered them to my home in Noblesville Indiana. My local Eddyline retailer was unable/unwilling to do the same. Great communication and pleasant demeanor. Highly recommend Offshore in Lake Bluff.

We spoke with Sam from Offshore, regarding repairs to our Zodiac boat…read more After much discussion with Sam his integrity became apparent in that his honest opinion was that spending additional money to repair this boat would not be worth while. He is to be commended for his honesty in appraising the return value for the expenditure for the need repairs. He took the time to honestly evaluate our Zodiac boat rather than turn just a "quick profit". We honestly would not have know the difference. He runs his business in a forthright manner to be commended in this day and age the "Quick Profit". Thank You M. Jens

This place is a hidden gem that's underutilized. For less then $300 bucks, a beachfront clubhouse…read morewith a huge deck including grills, tables, kitchen, showers, equipment, storage, and free to use club equipment such as kayaks, paddle boards, windsurfers... I'm here almost everyday. I can't understand why this place isn't completely packed with members all summer.

Oh la la! Let me polish my monocle and get my double breasted blue blazer and captain's hat out!…read more No way, this isn't that sort of club. It is low key and highlighly welcoming. The North Shore Yacht Club is Highghland Park's gem on the lake. What a great place to sail, paddle, sun, have fun and relax. With the cheap membership (I don't know of any better deal on the North Shore) you may use club boats and the clubhouse/deck for all your beach, boating and social desires. Want to race? Great! Want to sit back and enjoy the lake? Great! Want to hang out with some of the finest folks around? Great! Take advantage of the best feature of NE Illinois- Lake Michigan. NSYC does everything from regattas to outdoor movie nights. Head on down there and check it out. Just grab someone who looks happy and ask for a tour or the details, they will be happy to chat. Don't let the summer go by without heading to the lake!

Van Patten Woods Forest Preserve is an excellent place for a picnic, fishing, canoeing, biking and…read morea tranquil walk. The wide gravel path is 2.5 miles around the beautiful Sterling lake. It's shady with many trees and also nice and breezy. They have nice private picnic areas right on the lake front along with a couple restrooms. It's a great fun day out for families!

Easy hike we took the Yellow Trail. Kid friendly, playground and restrooms are available. The trail…read morehad some cool wood chairs around the trail.

Thank you Captain Jake and Ben. You guys are awesome! this was an amazing fishing experience!!!…read moreThey are extremely knowledgeable and help you out with all of your questions regarding fishing. We ve had so much fun.5 stars.

Had a wonderful day today with captain Curt. He was very knowledgeable and personable. He also knew…read morefun facts about Lake Michigan. Definitely worth booking a trip with them

We were very disappointed with our service with tikiboat Chicago. We planned a weekend bachelorette…read moreparty and rented a boat for Saturday. 2 weeks before the event, we get an email stating the boat is out of commission and were offered a different boat for Friday afternoon or Sunday afternoon. This was terrible service as we could only use the boat on a Saturday and only had 2 weeks to find a different option. This was almost impossible as boats are booked well in advance for Saturdays in Chicago. Would highly recommend Sofia with Get my Boat if you have a party of 12 looking for a great time. I am giving 2 stars as they were initially easy to book with.

Booked a party for my birthday but had to cancel when members of party tested positive for COVID…read more Captain cancelled the trip but I was never contacted for rescheduling or refund. I made several calls and emails that have not been returned. Very disappointing.

My Son and I stayed at Ol Pine Lodge in September. The pictures of the rooms/cabins were really…read morenice but they were even better than we expected. The beds were so comfortable and everything was clean and fresh. We sat at the lakefront fire pit and had a wonderful time. Fishing off the dock was fun, and the only disappointment was that some huge fish broke my line and took my lure...I thought the pole might break. We wanted to take the kayaks out but ran out of time. Highly recommended.

From the owner: We are a family owned vacation rental lakefront/beach property. The vibe at Ol Pine Lodge is…read morefamily friendly, relaxing and will be a great place to kick back and relax at the lakefront. Bring a boat and dock it at our piers. We have kayaks available upon request to allow you to escape early as the sun rises on the lake.

Unfortunately I have to give Bay Marine a low score due to poor customer service by salesman there…read moreby name of Ron I purchased an expensive boat there a couple years back and can't get him to replace a simple part under warranty. I am thinking of replacing my boat soon but it won't be from Bay Marine I guarantee that. I'll leave a more detailed explanation on the Crevalle owners site . John W

BEWARE OF BAY MARINE! I NEVER complain as I am a small business owner for over 25 years and deal…read moredirectly with the public. I understand that mistakes happen and good businesses work to honor their word, written agreements, and protect their reputation. I only write this after exhausting all options other than the filing of a lawsuit (pending) to get a fair response from Bay Marine. Despite me sharing open information on my concerns/damages backed by a professional experienced mechanic, video, and photos, and written work agreements, they have refused to fix the damages to my vessel which are running in the $30,000 range. Dishonest service: I paid for their "concierge" launch service which was a joke as they didn't complete the scope yet refused to rebate for work they admittedly did not do. Failure to perform agreed written work orders. There is no evidence in the vessel and no evidence provided that they completed the scope of work (winterization) properly. Signficant damages resulted as I had to replace 6 air handlers, a water pump, and two thru-hull glasses that were damaged by freezing. But Matt (owner) is a gem.. he claims that the equipment was "old" and just mechanically broke down (all at once lol). oh yeah and that the antifreeze they use breaks down in 12 months and doesn't provide protection... (i stored with them for two winters but it ran just over a year in time). Can you imagine your car freezes every year even though very few people replace the antifreeze annually? no it does not nor is it rated to do that... any excuse will do other than the truth apparently. You will be pleased to know that Matt says they do all their work "perfectly"... Unapologetic breach of promises: to research the cause of damage and determine what was damaged from freezing, the owner, Matt and I agreed that i would hire a third party professional mechanic (who they have used and still use). Matt said he will rely on those results. nice, right? That mechanic has 20+ years of expertise in these matters. Said mechanic concluded (and I shared a recorded video of same with Matt) that Bay's lack of performing the hired scope of work almost certainly resulted in the signficant physically damages to my vessel while in their custody. Yet after receiving said documentation, they refuse to reimburse for repairs or further respond. They hide their insurance. Everyone ask up front for their insurance company that backs their work as they hide their insurance carrier info. and refuse to share it when there is a claim. Nice and honest approach. the game seems to be that you must file an expensive lawsuit just to get that information. Seems like a honest approach to you? List your boat for sale? and yes, I had my $500,000+ valued boat actually listed with them during this time. they were going to make money no matter what but they are apparently just too disingenuos to make things right. RUN AWAY! BTW: It is unclear on who now owns Bay Marine and whether current ownership or prior is "legally" responsible for all this. But I did also communicate with the current manager of service who refused to help in any way. and the people that "worked on my boat" are still there so BEWARE!. My material communication for resolution was with Matt (at the seeming direction of all involved over there). Matt claims to be the owner at the time of my service work but Matt says he now "owns" the Sales business. We all want a trustworthy person representing us in the sale of our property. think very carefully before listing with Matt! a few photos attached... but i have plenty more.