Delaware Bay tog and blues turn on as nor'easter clears out
NOAA's Delaware Bay station (8537121) read 66.7°F this morning, with high tide at 12:13 PM and low at 7:05 PM local time. That reading comes after a soaking, wind-driven nor'easter — Eric Burnley reported over three inches of rain and gusts near 50 knots that shut down fishing across the Delaware, Maryland and Chesapeake region for most of last week, and Smith's Bait Shop said boats couldn't clear the bay in the rough seas. Where anglers did get out, Old Inlet Bait and Tackle reported bluefish on metal lures during incoming water despite the blow, and Big Dave's Tackle noted a good tautog bite on sandfleas and green crabs at the back-bay bridges and lighthouses, with baitfish pushed into the inlets ahead of the storm. Hands Too Bait and Tackle, working the Cape May side of the bay, had striped bass, weakfish and bluefish mixed in with tautog before conditions turned.
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Smith's Bait Shop expects the Port Mahon bite to keep building into October as water conditions settle.
Offshore, The Fisherman's NJ/DE Bay report has seas dropping to 3-4 feet by Wednesday into Thursday night with winds turning west-southwest around 10 knots, a window worth watching for anyone planning a bay or nearshore trip once the swell lays down.
With low tide falling near 7 PM, an evening outgoing tide paired with calmer winds midweek looks like the best stretch to work tautog around structure or fish bluefish on the last of the incoming water before then.
Context
Water in the upper 60s and a waning gibbous moon are typical for Delaware Bay in late September, as the bay transitions from its late-summer mix toward the tautog-and-bass pattern that defines the fall run here. This region tends to hold bottom and back-bay action longer than the open coast, and a storm-interrupted week like this one is a normal, if frustrating, feature of the season rather than a sign it's running behind.
Synthesized from real-time NOAA buoy data, USGS stream gauges, and current reports across regional fishing blogs, captain updates, and angler forums. Check local regulations before keeping fish. Never trust a single source for a trip decision.
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