Delaware is located on the Atlantic coast. It is the second smallest state in the United States. It has only three counties.  New Castle county is the more densely populated of the three the other two are Kent and Sussex. Scientists and engineers make up the highest percentage of the work force in the state. This is partly due to the Chemical giant DuPont. It is the largest chemical company in the world. Delaware is one of the original thirteen colonies to be settled by the British. It is referred to as the first state because it is the first one to actually ratify the Constitution. There is an amazing amount of fishing opportunities in a place that is so small. If you plan to go fishing in Delaware you can choose from fresh or saltwater. The state is lo0cated on the Atlantic Ocean and is one of our Border States. It sits just 450 feet above sea level.

Climate

All most all of Delaware is an Atlantic Coastal Plain state. This makes the climate in the area more susceptible to the Atlantic currents. It is only about 100 square miles in landmass but the temperatures vary greatly across this small expanse. The state experiences relatively hot summers and they are very humid as well. These conditions make fishing in Delaware great.

Bodies of Water

For its small size Delaware has a surprising number of rivers, creeks and streams. There are twenty-two named rivers and creeks and four hundred and thirty five streams. Fishing in Delaware is really a great pastime. Delaware is mostly known for it salt water tours and charters but the inland waters are also teeming with fish. A few of the fishing hot spots are:

• White Clay Creek – Located in Newark, Delaware it has a lot of small ponds within the park that offer great fishing in Delaware. Bass, Trout, Crappie and Bluegill can be caught in any of the ponds. The creek closes for two weeks right before the trout season is set to begin. There is an additional charge for a permit to fish for Trout.
• Mill Creek – This creek is probably best known for its great kayaking adventure but there is a bounty of fish to be caught in these waters. This is one creek that though it is fed from the Red millpond it is still subject to high and low tides.
• Pike – A part of the Delaware River Highlands there are plenty of opportunities on these waters Bluegill, American Shad and Bass in these waters as well. It is also possible to catch your fill of Walleye here.
• Beaver Run – this is a reservoir that is still under debate and has not opened to the public. There are reports of huge Bass, Trout and Bluegill in the waters. These reports are from the anglers brave enough to sneak in.
• Wilson Creek – this is the place to go for fly-fishing in Delaware. Fly-fishing here is so popular there is a site devoted to the types of insects that are fish favorites and when they are due to hatch bringing on a trout and bass feeding frenzy. For info go to www.kyndoutdoors.com/fly-fishing.

Species of Fish

Delaware has most of the most popular game fish species. These include but are not limited to:

• Large Mouth Bass
• Small Mouth Bass
• Black and White Crappie
• Rock Bass
• Muskellunge and its Hybrids
• Hybrid Striped Bass
• Walleye
• Northern Pike
• Chain Pickerel
• Salmon
• Trout

Licenses and Permits

It is not a necessity to have a salt-water fishing license in the state of Delaware but for inland fishing all anglers over the age of 16 must be licensed. As of 2008 Delaware incorporated a license structure that covers all of the state’s waters both the fresh waters and the tidal waters. Here is an idea of what the fees are for resident and non-resident anglers:

License                                                                              Resident        non-resident

Standard Fishing ages 16-64                                                  8.50                 20.00

Seven day non-resident                                                          N/A                   12.50

Trout Stamp                                                                            4.20                 6.20

20’ boat Fishing                                                                      40.00               40.00

For more information and rules visit www.fw.delaware.com

Tackle

There are really no special tackle requirements in Delaware. Your standard heavy tackle and spinners will work just fine in these waters.