Shawangunk Lake in Orange County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Shawangunk Lake belongs to Orange County, New York. Height above sea level is 787 feet. The water covers some 110 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The whole outline is near 2.6 miles, and most of it is walkable. Size puts it in the front rank of our Orange County list. Nearest place of any size is Otisville, 2.7 miles away. It is 40 miles to Paterson, the nearest city. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Shawangunk Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Survey and observation records for Orange County include common carp, brook trout and bluegill. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Shawangunk Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 71°F and January at 24°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late March. The water is typically free of ice between late March and late December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Shawangunk Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Highland Lake, 1.1 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Signs at Shawangunk Lake carry more weight than any list.