Delaware Fishing Report

The Delaware Fishing Report offers information on when to fish, where to fish, which species are biting, and how to catch them. It is written weekly by Eric Burnley, Sr.

Find information on fishing in Delaware on the new Recreational Fishing page and the updated DNREC Fisheries Section page and in the Delaware Fishing Guide. Don’t forget that you will need a Delaware fishing license.

Find information on the tides in Delaware tidal waters from NOAA and about Delaware’s freshwater fishing ponds.

July 9, 2026

Current Conditions

The heat dome of last week left us with warm water and some good fishing to report this week. We have everything from kings in the surf to yellowfin tuna and tilefish from the canyons.

Delaware Bay

A yellow fish with slight almost vertical stripes. — **Atlantic Croaker**

Patty at Captain Bones said summer fishing is here with croaker caught from the fishing pier at Woodland Beach on bloodworms or Fishbites.

Augustine Beach has seen white perch and catfish with the perch caught on bloodworms or grass shrimp and the catfish taken on cut bait.

Leipsic

Steve at Smith Bait in Leipsic reported that slot stripers were caught at the Augustine Wall on peeler crab or bloodworms.

Out in Delaware Bay the reef sites and oyster bars hold flounder, blues and croaker. The flounder will take live minnows, bucktails with strips of squid or Gulp! or Fishbites. Blues go after metal jugs, cut bait or bucktails. Croaker like Fishbites, bloodworms or sand fleas.

A silvery fish with somewhat golden sides and belly and dusky stripes on its upper side. — **Spot**

Broadkill Beach

Dan at Dan’s Tackle told us Broadkill Beach saw good action with croaker, spot and small kings most of the week. It also attracted lots of fishermen.

Crabbing was good in the Broadkill River.

Lewes

Lewes Harbour Marina said the wind that accompanied the cooler weather towards the end of the week caused boats to stay tied to the dock for a few days, but other than that, when they ran to ocean structure, they had flounder and sea bass.

a pan-shapped fish with vertical dark bars (stripes) on its side. — **Sheepshead**

Those that fished the Outer Wall and the Ice Breakers with sand fleas and green crabs caught tog, sheepshead and triggerfish.

The Lewes and Rehoboth Canal produced the occasional keeper flounder on minnows. Fishing there with bloodworms or Fishbites and you should catch spot and croaker.

Breakwater Tackle on the fishing pier at Cape Henlopen State Park told us that spot and croaker made up most of the catch from the pier last week.

The occasional keeper flounder was caught by working a minnow or a bucktail with a strip of squid or Gulp! on the down-current side of the pilings.

Kayak anglers had better success with flounder by working the pilings at the very end of the pier.

Indian River Inlet

A silvery/white fish with seven or eight dark, horizontal stripes that run the length of its body. — **Striped Bass (Rockfish)**

Old Inlet Bait and Tackle reported that striped bass to 39 inches have been caught at night from the Inlet. Plugs, bucktails and soft plastics are the baits of choice for the night shift.

Blues come through the Inlet on incoming water and will take metal lures.

Tog, sheepshead and triggerfish are available close to the rocks on sand fleas and green crabs.

Flounder lie in wait in the calm water for food to pass by. Try a live minnow or a jig with strips of squid or Fishbites.

An oval, flat fish with dark spots on a greenish skin. — **Summer Flounder**

Indian River Bay

Rick’s Bait and Tackle said that flounder, blues and sharks made up the catch out of Indian River Bay. Work the flats during high tide and the channels during the outgoing.

Go early or late or don’t bother at all.

Surf Fishing

Old Inlet Bait and Tackle said kings, spot and croaker are available from the beach on bloodworms and Fishbites. Skates and dog sharks continue to be a problem.

Ocean

A long thin fish that is greenish along the back with silver sides and belly. It has yellowish spots. — **Spanish Mackerel**

Burt at Hook ‘em and Cook ‘em said the Judy V and the Captain Bob had sea bass and flounder on their half and full-day trips.

Boats that ran down to Fenwick Shoal and trolled caught Spanish mackerel and blues. Fishing structure there produced sheepshead and triggerfish.

Hook ‘em and Cook ‘em reported that private boats have had success in the canyons with yellowfin tuna and tilefish.

Be aware you must have a permit from NOAA to fish for tilefish even if it is from a recreational boat. You also must file a report within 24 hours after returning from a tilefish trip.

Freshwater

An olive green fish, marked by a series of dark, sometimes black, blotches forming a jagged dark stripe along each side. — **Largemouth Bass**

Patty at Captain Bones said bass have been caught at Garrisons Lake, Lum’s Pond and Lake Como on chatter and swim baits.

Steve at Smith Bait said snakeheads were caught on surface frogs at Garrison’s Lake.

Eye to the Sky

Keep an eye to the sky during the summer. Thunderstorms have a sneaky way of coming up on you when you least expect them. This has happened to me and believe me, it ain’t no fun.

Any change in the color of the sky from bright to dark is not good. It is particularly bad if the dark clouds are between you and the beach. Sometimes you can run around the storm, but most of the time you have to take a beating and run right into the rain, wind and lightning.

Oh joy.

Eric Burnley, Sr. is a native Delawarean who has fished local waters for more than 60 years. Eric Burnley has been a full-time outdoor writer since 1978, with articles appearing in most national magazines and many regional publications. He has written three books: Surf Fishing the Atlantic Coast, The Ultimate Guide to Catching Striped Bass and Fishing Saltwater Baits.