Cody from Tower City put it cleanly: “The water is clear and the amount of large fish it holds is a fisherman’s dream.” That’s the case for the cabin as a fishing base. The longer case is that you can fish two completely different fisheries from one rental, and not many places in the northeast pull that off.
The cabin sits on a private 54-acre spring-fed lake (Shehawken) — bass, yellow perch, chain pickerel. It’s also 20 minutes from the West Branch of the Delaware River, one of the best wild-trout fisheries in the eastern US. One cabin, two fisheries. Six of the 22 reviews on Airbnb explicitly mention fishing. Here’s how anglers actually use the cabin.
The dock fishery.
Most reviews from anglers focus on the dock first. The dock sits over 5 to 8 feet of water with structure underneath from the pilings. Bass hold there in the morning and evening. Perch school under the dock all day in summer. If you’re here with a kid or a partner who has a short attention span, the dock is the highest-value fishing spot on the property simply because it’s always accessible — you can wake up at 5:30am, pour coffee, and be casting in three minutes.
The full breakdown of bass, perch, and pickerel patterns on Shehawken is in the lake fishing guide — spot-by-spot, season-by-season, with tackle recommendations.
Off the dock: the row boat and kayaks.
The cabin includes a row boat (with adult and youth life vests), two paddle boards, and a kayak. The lake is electric-motors-only — no jet skis, no gas motors — which means it stays calm and the fish stay unpressured.
The east shore weed bed and the west shore drop-off are the two spots worth rowing to. Both hold bass year-round. From the dock, the row boat puts you 5 minutes from either — quietly, with no engine noise to spook the fish.
The river fishery.
Twenty minutes north of the cabin is the West Branch of the Delaware River — arguably the best wild-trout tailwater fishery in the eastern United States. Cold water released from the bottom of the Cannonsville Reservoir keeps the river cool enough for trout to hold all summer. The fish are wild brown trout that live in the river year-round. No hatchery stockers. The water is technical, the fish are educated, and the rewards for getting it right are real.
For West Branch logistics — access points, dam release flows, fly-shop recommendations, and a realistic itinerary — see the Delaware River fly fishing post.
What works about a cabin base for fly anglers.
The fishing-town options for the West Branch — the West Branch Angler Resort, lodging in Hancock, the cabins on the river itself — are great for solo trips with serious anglers. They’re less great if your fishing partner doesn’t fish, or you’re bringing kids who want to swim, or you want one weekend that combines two days of trout with one afternoon of bass-on-the-lake. The cabin solves that.
The pattern serious anglers settle into: Friday evening at the cabin, Saturday early-morning trout on the West Branch (back by lunch), Saturday afternoon bass on the lake, Sunday morning trout one more time. Two completely different fisheries, both within 20 minutes, and a partner who can paddle the lake while you’re on the river.
The other angler reviews.
What to bring.
- Pennsylvania fishing license (required, age 16+). Available online at pafishandboat.com or at Hancock Hardware
- If you’ll wade the West Branch on the NY side, a New York license too — the river is the border
- Spinning gear for the lake: medium rod, 6-10 lb mono, basic lures (Senkos, small spinnerbaits, topwater frogs)
- For pickerel: a wire leader. They have teeth and will cut light mono
- Fly gear for the river: 9-foot 5wt for the West Branch is the all-purpose rod. Tippet 5x-7x. Hatch-matching dries plus a few streamers
- Polarized sunglasses — both fisheries reward the angler who can see the fish
- Waders if you’ll fish the river. The cabin doesn’t provide them
Best months for anglers.
May and June are peak: bass spawn on the lake, Hendrickson and Sulphur hatches on the river. September and early October are the second peak: cool water, aggressive bass, fall trout. July and August work for early-morning lake fishing but are tough on the river (low flows). April opens the trout season — wading is challenging but fish are hungry. Winter the lake is locked up, but ice fishing is permitted; the West Branch fishes year-round.
Logistics.
- Cabin to Hale Eddy access (West Branch): 20 minutes
- Cabin to Hancock fly shops (Border Water Outfitters): 15 minutes
- Cabin to Roscoe (Catskill Flies, the regional shop): 50 minutes
- Hancock to NYC: 2.5-3 hours
- Cabin to NYC: 3 hours
For the broader fishing context, see the Shehawken Lake fishing guide for the lake and Delaware River fly fishing for the river. Then see Airbnb availability — May-June and September fill 6+ weeks out, so plan ahead.
