[Grain]

I've been thinking about exploring some stretches of Cook county this year. Anyone wants to talk about their experience kayaking and fishing the section of the river from Dundee rd. to Miner st?

 

[threeats407]

I really only kayak the river usually going in at the launch off Milwaukee road across from Allgauer's or from the spillway that runs into it from Big Bend lake. Along the shoreline at Allgauer's you can still see the concrete structures from when Villa Venice offered gondola rides back in the days when the Rat Pack did a gig there. As far as kayaking goes I can tell you that with the dams gone, going back upstream is no longer a leisurely ride even when the water is low. There used to be an impassable log jam between Central and Dam2 which looks gone now. On Google maps it used to be visible and now it isn't. Paddling upstream near OCC there were times it was near impossible to beat the current under that railroad trestle and once even in fairly low water I had to get out and drag it a ways.

I have not been in a couple years. The last time I went dam #2 although mostly gone was still moving most of the water through a small portion on the west side for some reason. My guess is that with the dams gone and even if the river was low a trip from around Dundee to Miner and back would be a haul back upstream. Lots of wildlife, three types of herons, egrets, mink, beaver, deer, great horned owls, fox, coyotes,...

 

[Grain]

Thanks. I think I'll probably start at Dam 2 and paddle up to see what it's like.

• Re: trestle, is it a tougher current than under a railroad bridge in Libertyville?
• Clever idea to launch at Big Bend and drag the boat over to the river
• Dam #2 to Miner st. is 5 miles as the river floats, on DPR it's a laborious upstream paddle even in mild current
• Most importantly - how's fishing? The area looks relatively secluded and inaccessible to shore fishermen on Google maps but they are a crafty lot

 

[threeats407]

Thanks. I think I'll probably start at Dam 2 and paddle up to see what it's like.

• Re: trestle, is it a tougher current than under a railroad bridge in Libertyville?
• Clever idea to launch at Big Bend and drag the boat over to the river
• Dam #2 to Miner st. is 5 miles as the river floats, on DPR it's a laborious upstream paddle even in mild current
• Most importantly - how's fishing? The area looks relatively secluded and inaccessible to shore fishermen on Google maps but they are a crafty lot

I don't know about Libertyville.
Actually if you go in at the nice cement launch at Allison woods you can go upstream from there to Dundee and downstream as far as you like if that logjam is gone which it appears to be.. Yes since the dams are out even with water low you either paddle or lose ground rapidly. Used to be if you got near shore you could almost sit still. There was a guy posting often that was fishing from shore quite a bit around the OCC area and near River Trails Nature Ctr.. I saw vids of nice northerns from around Euclid/Lake bridge. I have also run across some inlets, almost like quiet bays that had lots of lily pads bass may enjoy but they come and go.