Pan,
Don't believe the hype. It's too bad that Echo Park carries the negative mystique that it does. The truth is it's no safer than your surrounding mid-wilshire neighborhoods. Don't let the cultural diversity in the area scare you into thinking that fisherman are not welcome. On any given (sunny) day you will find joggers, families, business-types out for lunch, ect... And yes, fisherman as well (knowledgable ones at that). Sure there might be homeless, transients, and a few bad seeds here and there, but the place has come along way from what it used to be several years back. I'll be the first to admitt that the lake is rough around the edges, but there are fish to be had in this lake... Just use your best judgement, don't be knucklehead, go with the right attitude, watch your back when you need to and you'll be fine. My final word of advice is, don't fish there at night (although, people do fish at night and have been known to do well), leave that to the locals... fish anywhere from early morning through dusk. And don't be afraid to talk to fellow anglers. Most will be willing to share some type of info. that could help catch fish. If you need any other info or would like a chaperoned trip, feel free to hit me up @ chefreno@hotmail

Have some faith in society, and pray to God you don't get jumped! J/K!!!
aaron

:-)