USWW Delmarva FishCast — Warm bay water and moving tides are driving croaker, stripers, and inlet blues across Delmarva

Overview As of 2026-06-23, this week’s mid-week snapshot shows a warm-water, moving-tide pattern across Delmarva. NOAA NDBC buoys are sitting in the upper 60s to near 70°F in the bay and nearshore, while the lower river gauges show warmer water in the inland systems, which helps explain why croaker, striped bass, bluefish, flounder, and freshwater bass are the main names in the reports. The cadence this week is Tuesday mid-week, so treat this as a snapshot between the Friday main report and the next round of updates.

🌊 Atlantic & Surf DE DNREC reported that the surf was dominated by skates and dog sharks, but spot, croaker, small blues, and the occasional small striper were also caught on a variety of baits. That points to a classic mixed surf bite: not a numbers game every cast, but enough life to justify a careful beach setup. Confidence is good, but the bite is spread out and bait-dependent.

The practical takeaway for the surf is simple: work the pockets and cuts, carry a mix of bottom bait and smaller offerings, and don’t expect one presentation to cover everything. With no offshore report this cycle, the nearshore picture remains the better bet for anglers staying close to shore.

🟦 Delaware Bay The Delaware Bay report was the strongest part of this week’s digest. Patty at Captain Bones said croaker were caught from the fishing pier at Woodland Beach on bloodworms, Fishbites, and squid. Steve at Smith Bait in Leipsic reported a croaker invasion with good numbers at Woodland Beach, Port Mahon, and Bowers Beach on bloodworms, Fishbites, squid, and shrimp.

Augustine Beach produced a few striped bass and fair numbers of catfish on bloodworms and cut bait. White perch are available in the tidal creeks on bloodworms or Fishbites. The overall pattern is a useful one for summer: croaker and perch are showing where the current has some work, while striped bass are more of a bycatch or targeted surprise than a broad guarantee. Confidence is good.

🟩 Chesapeake Bay (MD) MD DNR’s fishing report was unavailable this cycle, so this zone has limited direct bite information this week. The tidal timing still matters for the Maryland side of the Bay, especially around Cambridge and Annapolis, but anglers should treat the bite picture as thin and verify current conditions before heading out. Confidence is limited reports this week.

🟨 Inland Bays The Indian River Inlet is the clearest inland-water report in the bundle. Old Inlet Bait and Tackle said the night shift is probably catching its share of striped bass out of the Inlet, and blues come through on incoming water and will take bucktails, plugs, or metal lures. Sheepshead are close to the rocks and like sand fleas or green crabs, while keeper flounder hold in calmer water and can be worked with a small jig tipped with a minnow, Gulp!, or Fishbites.

This is the kind of report that rewards tide awareness more than cover water. The inlet edges, rock piles, and calmer pockets are the places to focus, and the reported methods are straightforward: metal and plugs for bluefish, bottom-oriented bait for sheepshead, and small jigging presentations for flounder. Confidence is good.

🟫 Rivers & Freshwater Freshwater reports were steady but not broad. Patty at Captain Bones said largemouth bass were caught at Garrisons Lake and Massey’s Pond on chatter baits and swim baits. Steve at Smith Bait reported bass and crappie near Silver Lake in Dover, with bass taking minnows and swim baits and crappie taking minnows and crappie jigs.

USGS river gauges support the warm-water feel in the inland systems. The Murderkill River at Frederica measured 77.9°F, and the Choptank River near Greensboro measured 76.1°F, which is consistent with summer freshwater and tidal-river behavior. Confidence is thin, but the locations and lures are clear enough to guide a short trip.

Water Temperatures (NOAA NDBC)

• Delaware Bay (44009): 69.4°F (20.8°C) at 2026-06-23 10:30Z
• Cape May, NJ (CMAN4): 69.3°F (20.7°C) at 2026-06-23 10:30Z
• Long Island offshore (44025): 68.0°F (20.0°C) at 2026-06-23 09:20Z

Tides (NOAA CO-OPS)

• Lewes, DE: H Tue 04:17 (3.7 ft); L Tue 10:21 (0.4 ft); H Tue 16:59 (4.2 ft); L Tue 23:11 (0.8 ft)
• Ocean City Inlet, MD: H Tue 03:34 (2.1 ft); L Tue 09:33 (0.4 ft); H Tue 16:29 (2.4 ft); L Tue 22:22 (0.6 ft)
• Cambridge, MD: L Tue 06:25 (0.7 ft); H Tue 11:46 (1.7 ft); L Tue 18:21 (0.2 ft)
• Annapolis, MD: H Tue 01:11 (1.5 ft); L Tue 07:23 (0.8 ft); H Tue 12:34 (1.2 ft); L Tue 18:58 (0.3 ft)
• Reedy Point, DE: L Tue 01:15 (0.8 ft); H Tue 06:55 (5.3 ft); L Tue 13:34 (0.3 ft); H Tue 19:34 (6.0 ft)
• Cape May, NJ: H Tue 04:05 (4.4 ft); L Tue 10:14 (0.5 ft); H Tue 16:47 (5.0 ft); L Tue 23:01 (0.8 ft)

Rivers (USGS)

• Brandywine Creek at Wilmington, DE (01481500): discharge 343 cfs at 2026-06-23 06:30-0400
• Murderkill River at Frederica, DE (01484080): discharge -2130 cfs; water 77.9°F (25.5°C); gauge 4.81 ft at 2026-06-23 06:06-0400
• Pocomoke River near Willards, MD (01485000): discharge 10 cfs; gauge 4.69 ft at 2026-06-23 06:45-0400
• Nanticoke River near Bridgeville, DE (01487000): discharge 19 cfs; gauge 3.89 ft at 2026-06-23 06:15-0400
• Choptank River near Greensboro, MD (01491000): discharge 15 cfs; water 76.1°F (24.5°C); gauge 2.20 ft at 2026-06-23 06:30-0400
• Tuckahoe Creek near Ruthsburg, MD (01491500): gauge 0.49 ft at 2026-06-23 06:45-0400

Regulation Notes

• ASMFC posted a June 17 item titled “Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass AP Agenda — June 2026.” This bundle surfaced an agenda item, not final rule text.
• No new size limits, creel limits, slot rules, season dates, or moratorium changes were provided in the source bundle.
• Verify current Maryland and Delaware regulations before keeping any fish, especially for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass.

Closing Conditions can change quickly with tide stage, wind, and river color, especially in summer. Before launching, check the NOAA marine forecast, wear a life jacket, and confirm current MD DNR and DE DNREC regulations before you keep fish. Sources: MD DNR, DE DNREC, NOAA, USGS. — US Weather Warriors 🌪️