USWW Delmarva FishCast — Late-summer mix as of 2026-08-21: surf spot and croaker, Bay perch and catfish, inlet flounder, and scattered freshwater bass

Overview This is the Friday main report for 2026-08-21. The water is still warm across the region, with NOAA NDBC readings from 70.5°F in Delaware Bay to 77.4°F near Cape May, and that matches a late-summer mixed bag: surf spot and croaker, Bay white perch and catfish, inlet flounder and triggerfish, plus freshwater bass and snakeheads. MD DNR was unavailable this cycle, so Maryland-specific detail is limited; treat those areas as thin and verify before running long. Cadence note: this is the Friday main report, with mid-week Tuesday updates handled separately when available.

🌊 Atlantic & Surf DE DNREC said jellyfish have been a problem in the surf, but anglers who could stay out of the water found spot, croaker and kings on bloodworms or Fishbites. That is the clearest surf report in the bundle and it reads as good. Offshore reports were thin; the buoy picture is warm, but the source bundle did not surface a solid offshore fish report. Confidence: good.

🟦 Delaware Bay DE DNREC’s Delaware Bay notes were steady rather than flashy. White perch continue from tidal creeks and rivers on bloodworms and grass shrimp, and catfish remain the main shore target at Augustine Beach, Dobbinsville and the C&D Canal, with cut bait still the top attractor. Around Port Mahon and nearby reef sites, boats picked up flounder and trout on peeler crab, minnows, squid and shrimp, and Bowers Beach jetties produced flounder, croaker and spot. Confidence: good.

🟩 Chesapeake Bay (MD) MD DNR was unavailable this cycle, so this section is limited to the broader river and gauge picture. USGS shows the Choptank River near Greensboro at 76.1°F with 43 cfs and a 2.71 ft gauge, while the Pocomoke River near Willards and Tuckahoe Creek near Ruthsburg are both low-flow, warm-water summer systems. With no agency report to lean on, this is a limited-reports week for Maryland Chesapeake waters. Confidence: limited reports this week.

🟨 Inland Bays Indian River Inlet and nearby structure carried the inland-bay bite. Old Inlet Bait and Tackle reported daytime action for triggerfish, sheepshead and small tog, with flounder behind structure and blues early around the bridge. Live eels are the ticket for larger striped bass at night in a catch-and-release fishery, and an eel also accounted for a cobia at the Old Grounds. Rick’s also reported triggerfish and flounder from inshore structure. Confidence: good.

🟫 Rivers & Freshwater Freshwater reports were mixed but useful. Lum’s Pond and Garrisons Lake had bass on minnows and soft plastics, and snakeheads were taken from Garrisons Lake on surface frogs. USGS river gauges show warm, modest summer flow on the Delaware and Chesapeake tributaries, which fits the scattered bass bite more than a broad pattern. Confidence: thin.

Water Temperatures (NOAA NDBC)

• Delaware Bay (44009): 70.5°F (21.4°C) at 2026-08-21 09:30Z
• Long Island offshore (44025): 73.4°F (23.0°C) at 2026-08-21 09:10Z
• Cape May, NJ (CMAN4): 77.4°F (25.2°C) at 2026-08-21 09:18Z

Tides (NOAA CO-OPS)

• Lewes, DE: H Fri 03:47 (3.3 ft); L Fri 09:41 (1.1 ft); H Fri 16:27 (4.3 ft); L Fri 23:01 (1.3 ft)
• Ocean City Inlet, MD: H Fri 02:43 (1.9 ft); L Fri 08:51 (0.6 ft); H Fri 16:05 (2.3 ft); L Fri 22:19 (0.9 ft)
• Reedy Point, DE: L Fri 01:02 (1.0 ft); H Fri 06:41 (4.9 ft); L Fri 12:55 (0.8 ft); H Fri 19:07 (5.8 ft)
• Cape May, NJ: H Fri 03:40 (3.9 ft); L Fri 09:34 (1.1 ft); H Fri 16:14 (4.9 ft); L Fri 22:41 (1.3 ft)
• Cambridge, MD: L Fri 06:12 (1.0 ft); H Fri 11:24 (1.7 ft); L Fri 17:43 (0.5 ft)
• Annapolis, MD: H Fri 00:47 (1.6 ft); L Fri 07:25 (1.0 ft); H Fri 11:59 (1.2 ft); L Fri 18:19 (0.5 ft)

Rivers (USGS)

• Brandywine Creek at Wilmington, DE (01481500): 684 cfs; gauge 8.56 ft at 2026-08-21 05:30-0400
• Murderkill River at Frederica, DE (01484080): -1800 cfs; water 81.3°F (27.4°C); gauge 4.81 ft at 2026-08-21 05:06-0400
• Pocomoke River near Willards, MD (01485000): 9 cfs; gauge 4.69 ft at 2026-08-21 04:45-0400
• Nanticoke River near Bridgeville, DE (01487000): 59 cfs; gauge 4.98 ft at 2026-08-21 05:30-0400
• Choptank River near Greensboro, MD (01491000): 43 cfs; water 76.1°F (24.5°C); gauge 2.71 ft at 2026-08-21 05:30-0400
• Tuckahoe Creek near Ruthsburg, MD (01491500): 45 cfs; gauge 0.85 ft at 2026-08-21 04:45-0400

Regulation Notes

• ASMFC posted Stock Assessment Happenings for striped bass on 2026-08-20.
• ASMFC released Bluefish FMP Review – FY 2025 and Scup FMP Review – FY 2025 on 2026-08-18.
• ASMFC posted the 2026 QA/QC Fish Ageing Workshop report for striped bass and tautog.
• ASMFC initiated an addendum to consider commercial scup quota overages and payback in the summer flounder, scup and black sea bass complex.
• No size, creel, season, slot or moratorium values were included in this source bundle; check MD DNR and DE DNREC before fishing.

Closing Conditions can change quickly with late-summer heat, tide stage and wind. Wear a life jacket, check the weather, and confirm the NOAA marine forecast before you launch; source reports were pulled from DE DNREC, NOAA and USGS, with Maryland detail limited this cycle. — US Weather Warriors 🌪️