USWW Delmarva FishCast — Post-storm Delmarva waters are muddy, but white perch, catfish, tog and black sea bass are still showing

Overview As of 2026-10-02, this is the Friday main report, and the biggest signal is post-storm water quality rather than a single dominant species. Delaware DNREC says the nor'easter left beaches closed because erosion created a steep drop-off, while the rivers are muddy after heavy rain and very high tides. That combination explains why the week is split between a few reliable structure bites and several zones with thin or limited reports.

🌊 Atlantic & Surf Delaware DNREC says the beaches are closed due to erosion and the steep drop-off, so surf access is poor this week. That makes the zone more of an access story than a bite story. The best ocean report in the bundle came from the Captain Bob trip on Sept. 30, which produced excellent black sea bass plus a few flounder in the inshore ocean. Offshore, Hook 'em and Cook 'em reported that no boats had fished the canyons, so there is no new offshore bite to carry forward. Confidence: good for the closure/access report, limited for anything beyond that.

🟦 Delaware Bay This is the strongest saltwater zone in the Delaware report this week. Patty at Captain Bones said fishing was pretty much normal in the tidal rivers, where white perch were taking bloodworms and catfish were taking bunker or shad chunks. The same pattern was reported from the shoreline from Augustine Beach down to Dobbinsville and up along the C&D Canal, which suggests the fish are holding in the usual current breaks rather than roaming broadly. Steve at Smith Bait in Leipsic also reported small stripers and white perch from the Woodland Beach pier and bridge on shrimp, bloodworms, and peelers. Confidence: good.

🟩 Chesapeake Bay (MD) Limited reports this week. The MD DNR report was unavailable in the bundle, so there are no fresh Maryland catch notes to quote or summarize for fish presence, bait, or technique. For anglers who are heading into the upper Bay anyway, the only hard timing cue available here is the Cambridge tide cycle, so treat this zone as thin until the next MD DNR update. Confidence: thin.

🟨 Inland Bays This area has the most specific inlet-and-bay structure bite in the bundle. Old Inlet Bait and Tackle reported small tog from Indian River Inlet on sand fleas and crab baits on Sept. 30, with a few keepers mixed in the catch. Rick's Bait and Tackle added tog at Massey's Landing and small striped bass released from Rehoboth Bay on swim shads. Those are the cleanest methods in the report for anglers working jetties, inlet edges, and bay structure. Confidence: good.

🟫 Rivers & Freshwater No freshwater reports surfaced from the Delaware shops this week. Patty at Captain Bones and Steve at Smith Bait both had no freshwater notes, and the broader report says the rivers are muddy after the heavy rain and very high tides. That leaves this section as a watch-and-wait zone until the water clears and the next report gives a better read. Confidence: thin.

Water Temperatures (NOAA NDBC)

• Delaware Bay (44009): 67.8°F (19.9°C) at 2026-10-02 09:20Z
• Cape May, NJ (CMAN4): 67.3°F (19.6°C) at 2026-10-02 09:18Z
• Long Island offshore (44025): 65.7°F (18.7°C) at 2026-10-02 09:10Z

Tides (NOAA CO-OPS)

• Lewes, DE: H Fri 01:09 (3.9 ft); L Fri 06:59 (0.5 ft); H Fri 13:37 (5.1 ft); L Fri 20:08 (0.8 ft)
• Ocean City Inlet, MD: H Fri 00:13 (2.2 ft); L Fri 06:12 (0.3 ft); H Fri 13:05 (2.8 ft); L Fri 19:31 (0.7 ft)
• Reedy Point, DE: H Fri 03:50 (5.2 ft); L Fri 10:33 (0.9 ft); H Fri 16:11 (6.3 ft); L Fri 23:44 (1.1 ft)
• Cape May, NJ: H Fri 01:06 (4.5 ft); L Fri 06:56 (0.6 ft); H Fri 13:33 (5.8 ft); L Fri 19:59 (0.8 ft)
• Cambridge, MD: L Fri 03:28 (0.9 ft); H Fri 08:27 (1.9 ft); L Fri 15:05 (0.3 ft); H Fri 21:22 (2.3 ft)

Rivers (USGS) All requested USGS sites were unavailable this cycle, so there are no discharge, temperature, or gauge-height values to report. Unavailable sites: 01481500, 01484080, 01485000, 01487000, 01491000, 01491500.

Closing Conditions can change quickly after a storm, especially with muddy rivers and closed beaches in the mix. Wear a life jacket, check the marine forecast, and verify local access before you head out; this snapshot is based on DE DNREC, NOAA NDBC, NOAA CO-OPS, and USGS, with MD DNR unavailable this cycle. — US Weather Warriors 🌪️