In 2003, Washington Park's thirty-two-acre lagoon underwent a major rehabilitation as a part of the Chicago Park District’s Lagoon Rehabilitation Program. The goal of the project was to improve the lagoon’s environmental quality and associated amenities. Highlights of the project include:
Hundreds of new shade and ornamental trees and shrubs,
Two acres of native woodland and prairie restoration,
Thousands of feet of stone fishing stations and access points, and
The installation of a new water source and recirculation system to improve water quality.
The Washington Park lagoon continues to be a popular fishing destination, which the Illinois Department of Natural Resources stocks with bluegill, crappie, green sunfish, pumpkin seed, rock bass, large mouth bass, channel catfish, bullhead, and carp.