Delaware fishing reports
44 reports for Delaware — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Delaware Bay Drum Bite Hits 15-Year High as Summer Species Move In
Water temperature sits at 67°F per NOAA buoy 44009, and the Delaware Bay drum bite has exploded. Nick at Hands Too Bait and Tackle — reporting via The Fisherman — Southern NJ — calls the drumfish action the best he's seen in at least 15 years. Boaters are finding up to a dozen black drum per night less than a mile off the beach, with fish ranging from 15- to 20-pound class fish to 60-pound slobs. Fresh clams fished in 10 to 18 feet of water on the moving tide are the key, per Hands Too. Smith's Bait Shop, via The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake, reports that croaker and weakfish (locally called trout) have moved onto the Coral Beds off Slaughter Beach, with bloodworms and peeler crab the top baits. Black drum are also holding those same Coral Beds into the evenings. Delaware's striper summer slot season — 20 to 24 inches — opens July 1; check state regs before keeping bass.
Delaware Bay Stripers Active as New Moon Tides Build This Weekend
On The Water's June 12 Striper Migration Map confirms striped bass remain widespread from New Jersey to Maine, placing Delaware Bay squarely in an active corridor. The incoming new moon this weekend is expected to produce the month's strongest tidal swings, which On The Water notes should continue pushing bass and bait toward summer haunts. Anglers fishing the bay should key on current seams, channel edges, and drop-offs during peak tidal flows. Worth noting for surf casters: Delaware Surf Fishing reports that Cape Henlopen Fishing Pier has seen fresh closures, with nearly 200 feet of the pier's end now sectioned off, limiting access. No buoy data was available for this cycle, so precise water temperature readings are absent. The waning crescent phase is building toward new moon, typically one of the most productive feeding windows in a tidal bay system. Check local conditions and tides before launching.
Delaware flathead record highlights a strong catfish and perch bite
Scott Failor's new Delaware State Record Flathead Catfish — 36.20 pounds from Augustine Beach on a chunk of shad — is the headline this week, per Captain Bone's in The Fisherman's DE/MD/Chesapeake report. That record-setting catch points to a broader catfish surge in the region's tidal rivers: Captain Bone's reports steady catches of white perch, catfish, and the occasional striped bass from Augustine Beach down to Woodland Beach, with bloodworms, Fishbites, and cut bait all producing. Inland on the Nanticoke drainage, Smith's Bait and Tackle in Leipsic (The Fisherman — NJ/DE Freshwater) reports solid perch and crappie action, post-spawn bass actively feeding at Garrisons and Massey Mills, and snakeheads still turning up near dam spillways. USGS gauge 01493500 on the Nanticoke shows flow at just 3.78 cfs — low and clear — signaling a shift toward early-morning, finesse presentations as mid-June heat settles in across the drainage.
Black Drum, Stripers, and Fluke Active on Delaware Bay's Inshore Grounds
The Fisherman's NJ/DE Bay regional forecast for the first weekend of June 2026 reports a solid variety of species along Delaware Bay's inshore grounds: striped bass, bluefish, black drum, and summer flounder are all in play. Fluke are showing in the wash and along inlet rocks, per The Fisherman, while sheepshead continue pushing northward through the region. On the Water's June 5th striper migration map notes that fish are beginning to settle into summering areas, though water temperatures are running a few degrees cooler than normal for this point in the season. That cooldown may be keeping transitional striper behavior active a bit later than typical for early June. No NOAA buoy readings were available for this report cycle, so confirmed water temperatures are not on hand. With the waning crescent moon on June 10th and summer approaching, bay anglers have a reasonable window to work structure and channel edges before the heat of summer reshapes the bite.
Delaware Bay Stripers Finding Their Summer Grounds
NOAA buoy 44009 recorded 64°F water in Delaware Bay on June 9, with light winds and air temperatures in the low 60s. On The Water's June 5 striper migration map shows bass beginning to settle into their summering grounds across the mid-Atlantic, though water is running a few degrees cooler than average, a pattern that tends to keep fish active and on the feed heading into summer. OTW Saltwater's June 2 migration report documented a baitfish buffet from Long Island Sound northward, with 40-pound bass on bunker pushing toward Boston. Saltwater Edge Blog (RI) noted that as northern-bound fish push on, fresher bass from the south continue filling in behind them across the Northeast. Weakfish are also starting to show in the region per Saltwater Edge. Delaware's striper slot season typically kicks in around July 1 per Delaware Surf Fishing, making this week a prime open window to target quality fish before size restrictions tighten.
Big catfish and post-spawn bass highlight early June freshwater action
A record 36.2-pound flathead catfish caught June 1 on the Delaware River near Augustine Beach sets the tone for early June freshwater action across the region. Angler Scott Failor targeted slow-moving ledges in 17–23 feet of water with cut gizzard shad on bottom, landing the fish after a strong dawn bite that also produced multiple cats to 15 pounds (Wired 2 Fish). That deep-ledge, cut-bait approach translates directly to the Nanticoke's and Christina's deeper channel holes, where catfish are actively staging as summer heat builds. USGS gauge 01493500 shows flows at just 2.44 cfs this morning, indicating very low, concentrated conditions that push fish into the few remaining cool, oxygenated pools. Post-spawn largemouth bass are transitioning off beds and beginning to seek offshore structure; Tactical Bassin reports a wobble head jig paired with a shaky head worm as a reliable June combination for targeting fish on isolated structure. Last Quarter moon favors dawn and dusk activity windows.
Black Drum Heating Up Delaware Bay's Coral Beds as June Arrives
Smith's Bait Shop in Leipsic reports the black drum bite at the Coral Beds off Slaughter Beach is sustained, with peeler crab the top producer and clams a solid backup. Similar action is reaching Broadkill Beach as well, per The Fisherman (DE/MD/Chesapeake). Water temperatures remain on the cool side for late spring, but Eric Burnley notes that good-weather windows last week opened up solid fishing from the beach all the way out to the canyons. A stretch of unsettled, windy weather had kept boats at the dock mid-week, but conditions are improving. Inshore, The Fisherman's NJ/DE Bay region forecast for early June calls out striped bass, bluefish, and the first fluke showing in the wash near inlet rocks. White perch are cooperating in the tidal creeks and rivers on bloodworms, per Smith's Bait Shop. The full species menu is filling out, though warming water remains the key to unlocking the flounder bite.
Stripers holding in Delaware Bay through early June transition
NOAA buoy 44009 recorded 64°F water in Delaware Bay early this morning, right in the productive range as the spring striper run stretches into June. On The Water's June 5 striper migration map notes fish are beginning to settle into their summering grounds along the mid-Atlantic coast, though water temperatures are still running a few degrees cooler than normal — a lag that tends to keep bass lingering rather than pushing north in earnest. OTW's May 29 migration update had big stripers feeding hard on bunker, squid, and river herring across the region. Weakfish are beginning to show in decent numbers as well, per Saltwater Edge Blog's late-May full-moon forecast — a pattern that typically reaches Delaware Bay within a week or two of first reports up the coast. Fluke season is building as bay water climbs toward the upper 60s. Check current state regulations before keeping stripers; a summer slot season typically opens July 1 in Delaware.
Delaware catfish run strong while post-spawn bass shift to summer structure
Wired 2 Fish reports a 36.2-pound record flathead catfish landed June 1 on the Delaware River near Augustine Beach — a Pennsylvania angler soaking cut gizzard shad on bottom ledges in 17 to 23 feet of water — a clear signal that Delaware's big-catfish season is in full swing. USGS gauge 01493500 registered just 2.26 cfs late June 6, pointing to lean, low-flow conditions in the regional drainage. When water runs this thin, fish concentrate in the deepest available pools and slower channel bends. Tactical Bassin notes post-spawn bass across mid-Atlantic freshwater are keying on isolated offshore structure, with chatterbaits, dropshot rigs, and wobble head jigs leading production. On the Christina and Nanticoke, largemouth and smallmouth should be in a similar mode: off the shallows now, holding on timber, bridge structure, and shaded deep edges. Evening catfish sessions on cut bait look like the headline opportunity heading into the weekend.
Black drum holding steady at Coral Beds as Delaware Bay warms
NOAA buoy 44009 recorded 59°F at the mouth of Delaware Bay on June 2, still on the cool side for early June, but the black drum bite at the Coral Beds off Slaughter Beach has been the week's standout story. Smith's Bait Shop (via The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake) confirms fish are hitting peeler crab and blue crab consistently, with anglers at Broadkill Beach also reporting drum on clams. Eric Burnley notes that calm weather days last week produced solid fishing from beach to canyons, though Memorial Day weekend's wind and cold water shut things down hard. As sunshine and lighter winds return, water temps should edge upward. Hook 'em and Cook 'em (The Fisherman — DE/MD/Chesapeake) logged Delaware's first offshore golden tilefish of the season alongside solid sea bass on ocean structure. In the tidal tributaries, white perch remain available on bloodworms, per Smith's Bait.
Post-spawn bass and catfish concentrate as Christina system runs low
USGS gauge 01493500 logged a minimal 2.44 cfs on the morning of June 2, signaling that tributary flows across the Christina drainage have settled into low-summer territory early in the month. No dedicated tackle-shop or charter reports surfaced from these specific drainages this cycle, but the gauge reading frames the picture clearly: fish are compressing into deeper pools and shaded channel bends rather than spreading across shallow riffles. Tactical Bassin notes that post-spawn bass are actively targeting isolated bottom structure right now, with chatterbaits, drop-shots, and neko rigs doing the heavy lifting in clear, pressured water. Catfish typically grow more aggressive as June water temperatures climb, and evening cut-bait sessions near the deepest bends are worth investigating. The waning gibbous moon supports strong pre-dawn feeding windows through the week. Anglers without recent local reports are advised to scout conditions before committing to a full trip.
Delaware Bay black drum on fire as the Coral Beds come alive
Big Dave's Tackle describes the Delaware Bay black drum bite this week as "excellent," with fish to nearly 80 pounds landed off Slaughter Beach, the Coral Beds, and Tussy's Slough on clams, shedders, and she-crabs. Hands Too Bait and Tackle confirms both sides of the bay are producing, with the Jersey side running particularly large fish this season; a 75-pounder topped the week's weigh-ins. NOAA buoy 44009 records water at 59°F, a temperature that has drum well engaged. The striper run at Fortescue Beach is winding down per Higbee's Bait and Tackle, though fish to 44 inches are still taking bloodworms as the horseshoe crab spawn begins competing for bait. Flounder remains inconsistent across the back bays, with Big Dave's noting a few keepers over five pounds from the creeks and piers. High winds and unsettled weather have been the primary limiter all week, with Eric Burnley at The Fisherman flagging rough bay conditions through the Memorial Day holiday.