Sarley: Chicago deserves respect in ranking of top fishing cities

My wife has been known to complain about how much time I spend on the internet. She’ll be sorry to learn my screen time may be going up, ever since I got a recent email from Srdjan Radoicic from FishingBooker.com.

How can you not open an email with the headline “Chicago #3 ranking among the Best U.S. Fishing Cities for 2026.” That sure got my attention.

What is FishingBooker? It claims to be “the world's largest platform for connecting anglers and fishing guides, with over 54,300 fishing trips available in more than 2,530 destinations worldwide.”

I’ll bite. Show me what you’ve got. I began to research the website. How did these folks come up with their rankings? I have to admit FishingBooker’s listing of guides and charters is extensive. They have more listed than I ever heard of and I am fairly well-informed.

They state the ranking is based on internal performance data, focusing on large U.S. cities that consistently deliver high-quality fishing experiences. The say they looked at booking trends, fishing quality and regional diversity, using the most recent data.

Who was the Windy City up against in the ranking? The top 10 included No. 1 Jacksonville, Fla., No. 2 San Diego, No. 4 Houston, No. 5 Portland, Oreg., No. 6 Seattle, No. 7 Denver, No. 8 Nashville, Tenn., No. 9 Atlanta and No. 10 Boston.

I’ll argue all day that the Chicago area deserves a ranking at the very top of any list of best fishing cities, but I let FishingBooker have their say.

“What helped Chicago stand out is the rare combination of excellent freshwater fishing on Lake Michigan and a vibrant urban setting. Anglers can target Salmon, Lake Trout, and Smallmouth Bass just minutes from downtown — often with skyline views — making fishing unusually accessible within a major city.

“Chicago shows how fishing can be part of a much bigger urban experience,” said Joris Zantvoort, head of public relations at FishingBooker. “You can be fishing on Lake Michigan in the morning and spending the afternoon enjoying world-class food, culture or sports — all without leaving the city.”

You know I’ve been complaining for a long time that the city of Chicago doesn’t try to sell the excellent salmon fishery enjoyed here. I’ve always said a family can stay in a wonderful downtown Chicago hotel while some family members go fishing on the big pond and other family members hit the Mag Mile to set their credit cards on fire.

Not just Chicago should take advantage of using fishing to build tourism. All the towns and suburbs that dot Illinois’ Lake Michigan shoreline should be able to do the same thing.

My biggest beef with FishingBooker and their study is they talk about Chicago as a separate entity and do not include the suburbs or the six-county regional area. If you include this area, there is no way we are in third place in the best fishing city rankings.

Take out an atlas or a big paper map (if you can happen to find one) and take a good look at all the fishing opportunities we have to enjoy. Our area is teeming with great fishing locations. Best of all, the ice will be gone from the water before you know it.