The Best Fishing Spots in Delaware
Fishing in Delaware offers productive, year‑round recreational opportunities across bays, estuaries and the Atlantic coast. In saltwater, anglers commonly target striped bass (rockfish), bluefish, summer flounder, black drum, Spanish mackerel, Atlantic croaker and weakfish from piers, the surf, kayaks and charter boats in the Delaware Bay and nearshore waters. Freshwater options include largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, chain pickerel, stocked trout, channel catfish, yellow perch and crappie in rivers, reservoirs and ponds, giving anglers a wide mix of inshore, surf and inland recreational angling choices.
Top Cities For Fishing
Sea Fishing
Bear
(6 km to coast)
Bellefonte
(3 km to coast)
Bethany Beach
(0 km to coast)
Brookside
(15 km to coast)
Camden
(15 km to coast)
Claymont
(2 km to coast)
Clayton
(18 km to coast)
Dagsboro
(5 km to coast)
Delaware City
(2 km to coast)
Dover
(13 km to coast)
Dover Base Housing
(9 km to coast)
Edgemoor
(2 km to coast)
Elsmere
(11 km to coast)
Frankford
(8 km to coast)
Frederica
(10 km to coast)
Glasgow
(10 km to coast)
Greenville
(13 km to coast)
Highland Acres
(13 km to coast)
Kent Acres
(13 km to coast)
Lewes
(1 km to coast)
Long Neck
(1 km to coast)
Middletown
(14 km to coast)
Milford
(13 km to coast)
Millsboro
(9 km to coast)
Milton
(13 km to coast)
Nassau
(6 km to coast)
Newark
(17 km to coast)
New Castle
(0 km to coast)
Newport
(9 km to coast)
Ocean View
(3 km to coast)
Pike Creek
(17 km to coast)
Pike Creek Valley
(17 km to coast)
Rehoboth Beach
(0 km to coast)
Rising Sun-Lebanon
(12 km to coast)
Riverview
(14 km to coast)
Rodney Village
(14 km to coast)
Selbyville
(9 km to coast)
Smyrna
(15 km to coast)
Townsend
(15 km to coast)
Wilmington
(7 km to coast)
Wilmington Manor
(4 km to coast)
Woodside East
(15 km to coast)
Wyoming
(17 km to coast)
Top Saltwater Fishing Spots
Delaware Bay
This expansive estuary is famed for spring black drum on the shoals, summer flounder and weakfish, and fall striped bass; boaters drift channel edges and reef sites while shore anglers score at access points like Port Mahon , Slaughter Beach , and Woodland Beach when wind and tide align.
Cape Henlopen
At the mouth of Delaware Bay , Cape Henlopen’s beaches and pier area produce kingfish, spot, flounder, and seasonal runs of striped bass and bluefish; work the beachfront cuts on an incoming tide, jig the pier lights at night for schoolie stripers, and scan the rips off the point when bait pushes in from Atlantic Ocean waters.
Indian River Bay
A premier bay for summer flounder, bluefish, and schoolie striped bass, Indian River Bay fishes well on channel drifts and around bridges; try early topwater over flats for specks and schoolies, and move through Masseys Ditch to reach Rehoboth Bay when tides switch.
Indian River Inlet
Delaware’s marquee spot for striped bass, bluefish, tautog, and summer flounder, the Indian River Inlet offers powerful tidal currents that concentrate bait and gamefish; fish the rock jetties on a moving tide, drift bucktails for fluke in summer, and target tog around structure in spring and fall, with surf action nearby at 3Rs Beach and boat access to Indian River Bay and Rehoboth Bay .
Little Assawoman Bay
A shallow, kayak-friendly bay with consistent flounder, schoolie striped bass, and speckled trout over grass flats; focus on channel edges and tidal drains between South Bethany and Fenwick Island , with calmer water than nearby Assawoman Bay .
Rehoboth Bay
Shallow flats, channels, and docks in Rehoboth Bay hold summer flounder, bluefish blitzes, and solid weakfish and spot; drift the main channel and fish dock lights at night, with easy connections to Indian River Bay via Lewes-Rehoboth Canal .
Assawoman Bay
Bordering Delaware’s southern coast, Assawoman Bay offers sheltered drifts for flounder, roaming bluefish, and summer spot/croaker; work channels near Fenwick Island and bridge structure, with quick access to Little Assawoman Bay on calmer days.
Top Freshwater Fishing Spots
Becks Pond
A heavily fished urban pond with strong numbers of largemouth bass, crappie, and sunfish, Becks Pond shines with shoreline access and productive spring prespawn bites; target culverts and riprap, and consider nearby options like Newark Reservoir for variety.
Brandywine Creek
A scenic piedmont stream offering spring-stocked trout, plus wild smallmouth bass and rock bass; wade riffles and pools with spinners or nymphs above Wilmington , and explore the East and West branches for lighter pressure.
Lums Pond
Delaware’s largest freshwater lake is a reliable fishery for largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, and channel catfish; work weedlines and timber with soft plastics, troll for crappie, and launch from state park ramps just off the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal corridor.
Red Mill Pond
One of Delaware’s largest natural lakes, Red Mill Pond holds quality largemouth bass, crappie, and yellow perch; target points and pads near Lewes , fish minnow-tipped jigs in winter, and drift shoreline edges for panfish year-round.
Trap Pond
Famed for its bald cypress stands, Trap Pond offers steady crappie, pickerel, and bass; work cypress knees and channels by kayak or small boat, and explore connected waters in Trap Pond State Park for less-pressured pockets.
White Clay Creek
Delaware’s flagship trout stream features regular stockings of rainbow and brown trout, along with summer smallmouth bass; fish classic runs and undercut banks in White Clay Creek State Park , and roam into Newark reaches for evening hatches.
Top Saltwater & Freshwater Spots
Broadkill River
A scenic tidal river flowing to Delaware Bay , the Broadkill yields white perch, striped bass, flounder near the mouth, and upriver pickerel; cast from town access in Milton or work marsh edges and creek mouths by kayak toward Prime Hook .
Chesapeake and Delaware Canal
The C&D Canal connects tidal systems and draws striped bass, white perch, catfish, and seasonal shad; fish the banks at Reedy Point and bridge abutments on moving water, or drift from a boat along ledges where current sweeps bait into ambush lanes.
Delaware River
From tidal stretches near New Castle to upriver edges, the Delaware River offers striped bass runs, abundant white perch, channel catfish, and spring shad; fish piers and riprap on the tide or drift channel edges by boat, with shore access at Battery Park and Augustine Beach .
Mispillion River
Flowing to Delaware Bay at Milford , the Mispillion produces tidal white perch, striped bass in spring/fall, and occasional flounder near the mouth; work marsh creeks on the tide from shore or small boat, and prowl docks and bridges at night.
Nanticoke River
Winding through western Delaware to the Chesapeake, the Nanticoke produces largemouth bass, crappie, blue catfish, and tidal white perch; fish laydowns and tidal seams from ramps near Seaford and explore feeder creeks like Broad Creek .