USWW Delmarva FishCast — Delaware surf, bay, and inlet bites are carrying the week; Maryland reports are thin this cycle

Overview As of 2026-06-30 and this Tuesday mid-week cadence, the pattern is firmly in summer mode. NOAA NDBC is showing warm coastal and bay water in the 70s, while the NOAA CO-OPS tide cycles line up with the cleaner movement at the surf, inlet, and upper-bay stations. MD DNR was unavailable this cycle, so the Delaware report and the NOAA/USGS data carry most of the useful bite picture.

🌊 Atlantic & Surf Confidence: good in the surf; thin offshore. DE DNREC’s surf note is straightforward: Old Inlet Bait and Tackle said kings are being caught from the beach along with spot and croaker. The baits called out were bloodworms, Fishbites, and sand fleas, which is the kind of simple summer bait mix that tends to keep working when the water is warm and the fish are feeding in the wash.

Offshore, the summary layer noted the first white marlin released out of Ocean City and said bluefin and yellowfin tuna were brought back to Delaware. The more specific weekly ocean note, however, said bluefin action tapered off toward the end of the week. Captain Bob and the Judy M still managed sea bass and flounder on some days, but the report itself makes it clear that offshore conditions were variable and the bite was not uniform day to day.

🟦 Delaware Bay Confidence: good. The bay is in the classic early-summer mix of croaker, spot, and catfish. Patty at Captain Bones reported croaker and spot from the pier at Woodland Beach on bloodworms, Fishbites, squid, and shrimp, while Augustine Beach saw catfish caught on cut bait and special catfish bait. Steve at Smith Bait in Leipsic said spot and croaker were abundant at several locations, including Woodland Beach, the Bowers Beach Jetty, Port Mahon, and reef sites out in the bay. The report specifically called out bloodworms, Fishbites, squid, and peeler crab as productive baits for the little bottom feeders. For the Delaware angler reading this report, that is the clearest “where and what” on the page.

🟩 Chesapeake Bay (MD) Confidence: limited reports this week. MD DNR was unavailable this cycle (client 404), so there is no fresh Maryland fishing report to summarize. That means the Maryland side of the Bay is more of a conditions read than a bite read this week, and the tide stations are the best hard data we have for planning.

For mid-Bay movement, Cambridge has H Tue 05:04 and H Tue 17:14, while Annapolis shows H Tue 06:24 and H Tue 18:23. Those are useful windows for anglers who want current around creek mouths, points, and structure, but the species picture itself is limited without a current DNR report.

🟨 Inland Bays Confidence: good. Indian River Inlet is the most specific inland-bay bite in the bundle. Old Inlet Bait and Tackle said bluefish are still coming through on incoming water and may be caught on bucktails, plugs, or metal lures. The same report said flounder are available and will take minnows, Gulp!, or a strip of squid fished on a jig head or white bucktail in the calm eddy around the rocks.

Sheepshead remain tight to the rocks and want green crabs or sand fleas. DE DNREC also noted croaker and spot in Indian River Bay in the broader summary, so the inland system is carrying a few different summer options even if the most specific report is centered on the inlet itself.

🟫 Rivers & Freshwater Confidence: thin. Freshwater reports were present, but they were 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.

This is a simple-bait week on the ponds and smaller rivers. The bite is there, but the report coverage is limited, so anglers should expect the best action to come from keeping presentations uncomplicated and fishing the obvious summer cover.

Water Temperatures (NOAA NDBC)

• Delaware Bay (44009): 73.0°F (22.8°C) @ 2026-06-30 10:30Z
• Long Island offshore (44025): 71.1°F (21.7°C) @ 2026-06-30 10:10Z
• Cape May, NJ (CMAN4): 70.3°F (21.3°C) @ 2026-06-30 10:00Z

Tides (NOAA CO-OPS)

• Lewes, DE: L Tue 03:49 (0.4 ft); H Tue 09:48 (3.4 ft); L Tue 15:25 (0.5 ft); H Tue 22:02 (4.8 ft)
• Ocean City Inlet, MD: L Tue 03:06 (0.5 ft); H Tue 08:46 (1.9 ft); L Tue 14:31 (0.2 ft); H Tue 21:30 (2.5 ft)
• Reedy Point, DE: H Tue 00:02 (6.3 ft); L Tue 07:04 (0.5 ft); H Tue 12:33 (5.0 ft); L Tue 18:50 (0.7 ft)
• Cambridge, MD: H Tue 05:04 (2.2 ft); L Tue 12:05 (0.6 ft); H Tue 17:14 (1.6 ft); L Tue 23:19 (0.3 ft)
• Annapolis, MD: H Tue 06:24 (1.7 ft); L Tue 13:19 (0.6 ft); H Tue 18:23 (1.0 ft)
• Cape May, NJ: L Tue 03:39 (0.5 ft); H Tue 09:40 (4.1 ft); L Tue 15:21 (0.5 ft); H Tue 21:55 (5.5 ft)

Rivers (USGS)

• BRANDYWINE CREEK AT WILMINGTON, DE (01481500): discharge 145 cfs @ 2026-06-30 06:30-0400
• MURDERKILL RIVER AT FREDERICA, DE (01484080): discharge 2550 cfs; water 79.7°F (26.5°C); gauge 4.81 ft @ 2026-06-30 06:06-0400
• POCOMOKE RIVER NEAR WILLARDS, MD (01485000): discharge 10 cfs; gauge 4.64 ft @ 2026-06-30 05:45-0400
• NANTICOKE RIVER NEAR BRIDGEVILLE, DE (01487000): discharge 16 cfs; gauge 3.74 ft @ 2026-06-30 06:15-0400
• CHOPTANK RIVER NEAR GREENSBORO, MD (01491000): discharge 10 cfs; water 76.3°F (24.6°C); gauge 1.99 ft @ 2026-06-30 06:30-0400
• TUCKAHOE CREEK NEAR RUTHSBURG, MD (01491500): discharge 15 cfs; gauge 0.44 ft @ 2026-06-30 05:45-0400

Regulation Notes

• ASMFC: Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass AP Agenda — June 2026 (posted 2026-06-17). This surfaced as a meeting agenda notice, not a regulation change.
• No size, creel, slot, season, or moratorium values were surfaced in this bundle; verify current MD DNR and DE DNREC rules before keeping summer flounder, scup, or black sea bass.

Closing Conditions can change quickly with summer heat, moving water, and local wind shifts; wear a life jacket, check the weather, and review the NOAA marine forecast before heading out. This update is built from DE DNREC, NOAA NDBC, NOAA CO-OPS, and USGS, with MD DNR unavailable this cycle. — US Weather Warriors 🌪️