Hundreds of people lined up to fill their live fish buckets as part of Fish Release Day at the Lake Glenview Boat Launch in Gallery Park on Saturday
“Fish Release Day provides a way for kids and their families to get their hands into nature, to touch a fish, and to learn firsthand about how the ecosystem actually works,” Glenview Park District environmental education supervisor Judy Picicco said during Saturday’s event.
All ages took part, participants one by one sending their fish down a metal chute into the Lake, all part of the springtime tradition to restock Lake Glenview.
“Lake Glenview is a man-made lake where we continue the same food chain you’d find in a natural pond, lake, or river _ where the smaller fish feed first, and today we are releasing some of the smaller fish so that the larger fish, migrating birds, and other creatures will have something to feed on,” Picicco said.
Lake Glenview Fish Release Day was held by the Glenview Park District, in partnership with the Sunrise Glenview Rotary Club and the Village of Glenview, and has grown exponentially since its introduction in 2017, organizers say.
Robyn Flakne, natural resources manager for the Village of Glenview says as far as lakes go, Lake Glenview is still very young and a developing ecosystem.
The Lake is stocked with species that include bluegill, largemouth bass, channel catfish, walleye, and tiger muskie.
“About 2,000 smaller fish, black crappie and fathead minnows were released Saturday, in support of serving the food web, and helping different populations of organisms by eating insects and plankton and serving as a food source to larger fish,” Flakne said. The fish were sourced from Keystone Hatcheries in Wisconsin.
Adam Shu of Glenview attended with his family.
“We wanted to get the kids out on Earth Day weekend for some post-COVID-19 interaction with others, any excuse to get them away from their screens and outside to get dirty,” Shu said.
Glenview resident, Chris Harris, originally from the UK, attended Fish Release Day with family.
“We enjoy the bits and pieces of being outdoors, a chance to put on our wellie boots and have a picnic lunch together in nature,” Harris said.
According to Flakne, Lake Glenview covers 45 acres, is 16 feet deep on average, and 19 feet at the deepest point.
Lake Glenview abides by all catch and release guidelines imposed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
“When we feed the Lake we build our catch-and-release sport fishery enjoyed by many residents and visitors to Glenview, the more places we have for people to experience and learn about the natural world the better,” Flakne said.
“My son is an aspiring fisherman,” Glenview resident, Vimal Prajapati said, “and we will come back this summer to fish.”
Laura Paynter of Glenview attended on Saturday.
“I like to get the kids out of the house to celebrate this earth environment stuff, and to experience what it feels like to take care of our planet,” Paynter said.
Gina Grillo is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.
