TOPIC:

For those who know about this area, do you need a ILL and IN license to fish here? I thought I remembered at one time that you could have either license, but both weren't necessary? I've never been there, but I'm wanting to go somewhere next weekend, and with that long breakwall and protected area, it may be my only choice.
Could someone also comment on how the fishing "generally" is there, ramp conditions, hazards or things to be aware of?
Directions would be great too, I'd be coming up I-65 from Lafayette.
Thanks to any info shared, if you want, you can also private me!!

Not to belittle the City of Chicago or the southside thugs that have made Chi-Town the murder capital of the world, but I haven't gone to Cal Park to launch since Hammond Marina opened. Hammond isn't all peaches and cream, but I don't feel the need to pack my gun when going there or worry if the car will be there when I return. You may have to bounce through an extra mile or so of rough water on a NE wind to get the break from the Cal Harbor wall but it's worth the risk - at least in my boat. At Cal Harbor, I've caught fish all over plenty of times. The Gap is often quite good, the far SE end of the wall is often a good spot and so it the mouth of the river. But other than the gap, one spot is usually as good as the next. The best thing is it's never crowded! The gang bangers shoot enough boaters to keep the traffic to a minimum......

That bad out there BN? Never been out there.

Yeah...guess I'm not to excited about fishing there now. What about the license requirements... anybody?

Technically you probably need both since your launching in a few feet of IL waters but fishing in IN waters. Not sure exactly what would be enforced over there though.

From what I rememebr. Cal Park is the only area on the lake where you can fish 2 states and only need 1 license from either. They share those waters as long as you stay inside the harbor which is pretty darn big. The launch is nice but $25 bucks I think. The area isn't the nicest but I do know people use it a lot in the spring especially the guys further north coming down. I would stick to the weekends where there are more vehicles in the lot.

Good luck!

For 25 bucks there had better be valet launches and landings of your boat and someone to towel dry your boat. Wow. I can see why its not real popular.

Haha!! Yeah 25 is quite a bit.

I've never had to pay there. I only launched there in early spring and no one on duty. Maybe they are more thorough now. Maybe you just paid 25 bucks to a gang-banger.

License is reciprocal inside the wall, then draw a line from the lighthouse to the SE corner of the State Line Generating Station.

Either IL or IN license will do. You can only have one limit of fish on the boat with you even if you have both licenses