USWW Delmarva FishCast — Warm Delaware Bay water, surf kings, inlet flounder, and sheepshead lead this week's Delmarva bite

Overview

As of July 7, 2026, this Tuesday mid-week FishCast is leaning hard into warm-season patterns: Delaware Bay is reading 76.6°F at NOAA buoy 44009, and the nearshore Atlantic markers are still in the low 70s. That kind of spread usually puts the best bite early and concentrates fish around structure, inlet current, and night tides. Maryland DNR fishing-report coverage was unavailable this cycle, so the Maryland side is lighter than usual and is built from NOAA tide and USGS gauge data rather than a state bite report.

🌊 Atlantic & Surf

DE DNREC reports a steady surf mix: kings from the beach along with spot and croaker, with bloodworms, Fishbites, and some sand fleas doing the work. That is the kind of report that rewards early starts and moving water, especially on the first light tide window.

On the ocean side, Burt at Hook ’em and Cook ’em said Spanish mackerel have arrived near Fenwick Shoal and that trolling drone spoons has been effective. The same report says blues are around the wrecks, while sheepshead, triggerfish, and flounder are showing on the wrecks, and the Old Grounds and inshore reef sites are holding flounder, croaker, and sea bass. Confidence is good this week because the report is specific on both location and method.

🟦 Delaware Bay

This is the strongest bay report in the bundle. Patty at Captain Bones recorded two sheepshead citations for 13-year-old Chance Rogers from the Outer Wall off Lewes, with shrimp and sand fleas as the baits. Croaker are being caught from the Woodland Beach fishing pier on bloodworms, Fishbites, shrimp, and squid, and Augustine Beach has catfish on cut bait plus white perch on bloodworms or Fishbites.

DE DNREC also noted action out of Leipsic and Delaware Bay site fishing, but the public excerpt in this cycle was cut off mid-sentence, so I am not stretching that beyond what was surfaced. Confidence is good for the bay as a whole, especially around structure and pier edges.

🟩 Chesapeake Bay (MD)

Maryland DNR was unavailable this cycle, so there is no agency-sourced bite report to carry here. For timing, NOAA CO-OPS shows Cambridge with low tide at 03:59, high at 09:31, low at 16:15, and high at 22:29. USGS gauges also show warm summer conditions in the Chesapeake tributaries: the Choptank River near Greensboro is at 79.3°F with 14 cfs and a 2.15 ft gauge height, and Tuckahoe Creek near Ruthsburg is at 53 cfs with a 0.95 ft gauge height. Reports are limited this week.

🟨 Inland Bays

Indian River Inlet is the inland-bay anchor this week. Old Inlet Bait and Tackle reports gray triggerfish have joined the mix, and they are taking sand fleas and green crabs tight to the rocks along with sheepshead. Blues are still moving through the inlet on incoming water and can be taken on metal lures, while striped bass are being caught on night tides on bucktails and plugs.

Rick’s Bait and Tackle says flounder remain the main attraction out of Indian River Bay, with minnows the top bait. The report also notes that after 10 a.m. fishing tends to slow down in the heat, which fits the broader summer pattern. Confidence is good.

🟫 Rivers & Freshwater

Freshwater reports are thinner, but they are specific enough to be useful. Patty at Captain Bones said largemouth bass have been caught at Garrisons Lake and Massey’s Pond on chatter baits and swim baits. Steve at Smith Bait said bass and crappie were taken near Silver Lake in Dover, with bass hitting minnows and swim baits and crappie taking minnows and crappie jigs.

The USGS gauges reinforce the summer feel: the Murderkill River at Frederica is running 83.8°F with 4.81 ft gauge height and a reported discharge of -988 cfs, the Nanticoke River near Bridgeville is at 14 cfs and 3.67 ft, and the Brandywine Creek at Wilmington is at 245 cfs. Confidence is thin, but the species mix is consistent with warm, low-flow conditions.

Water Temperatures (NOAA NDBC)

• Delaware Bay (44009): 76.6°F (24.8°C) at 2026-07-07 10:30Z
• Long Island offshore (44025): 71.2°F (21.8°C) at 2026-07-07 09:40Z
• Cape May, NJ (CMAN4): 71.1°F (21.7°C) at 2026-07-07 10:18Z

Tides (NOAA CO-OPS)

• Lewes, DE: H Tue 02:03 (4.0 ft); L Tue 08:18 (0.3 ft); H Tue 14:41 (4.2 ft); L Tue 20:52 (0.7 ft)
• Ocean City Inlet, MD: H Tue 01:17 (2.2 ft); L Tue 07:30 (0.2 ft); H Tue 13:59 (2.2 ft); L Tue 20:09 (0.5 ft)
• Reedy Point, DE: H Tue 04:36 (5.6 ft); L Tue 11:34 (0.4 ft); H Tue 17:16 (5.8 ft)
• Cambridge, MD: L Tue 03:59 (0.7 ft); H Tue 09:31 (2.0 ft); L Tue 16:15 (0.2 ft); H Tue 22:29 (2.0 ft)
• Cape May, NJ: H Tue 02:01 (4.8 ft); L Tue 08:12 (0.3 ft); H Tue 14:38 (4.9 ft); L Tue 20:45 (0.7 ft)

Rivers (USGS)

• Brandywine Creek at Wilmington, DE (01481500): discharge 245 cfs at 2026-07-07 06:30-0400
• Murderkill River at Frederica, DE (01484080): discharge -988 cfs; water 83.8°F (28.8°C); gauge 4.81 ft at 2026-07-07 06:06-0400
• Pocomoke River near Willards, MD (01485000): discharge 5 cfs; gauge 4.37 ft at 2026-07-07 05:45-0400
• Nanticoke River near Bridgeville, DE (01487000): discharge 14 cfs; gauge 3.67 ft at 2026-07-07 06:15-0400
• Choptank River near Greensboro, MD (01491000): discharge 14 cfs; water 79.3°F (26.3°C); gauge 2.15 ft at 2026-07-07 06:30-0400
• Tuckahoe Creek near Ruthsburg, MD (01491500): discharge 53 cfs; gauge 0.95 ft at 2026-07-07 05:45-0400

Regulation Notes

• ASMFC posted the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass AP Agenda for June 2026; anglers should watch for any management follow-up on those species.
• DE DNREC reports flounder and a few slot striped bass at the Bowers Beach jetty; keep current Delaware striped bass season, slot, and creel rules in mind.
• DE DNREC also noted NOAA permit requirements for recreational tilefish, with reporting required.

Closing

Conditions can change quickly with summer heat, shifting tides, and localized wind. Use the tide windows above, work the early bite, and check the NOAA marine forecast before you go; wear a life jacket and keep an eye on weather. Sources this week were DE DNREC, MD DNR where available, NOAA NDBC/CO-OPS, and USGS NWIS.

— US Weather Warriors 🌪️