Delaware Artificial Reefs: Sea Bass, Tog and More

Delaware has fourteen permitted artificial reef sites in Delaware Bay and along the Atlantic coast, and they are some of the most productive structure a boat angler can fish. Fish gather around hard structure, and the state has been adding it since 1995. This guide explains what the reef program is, which fish use the reefs, the rules that apply and how to find and fish a reef. We do not publish reef coordinates; DNREC’s reef guide is the right source for them.

What the reefs are

The reef program is one part of Delaware’s fisheries management effort. DNREC says it is designed to improve habitat, benefit structure-oriented fish and give anglers places to fish. DNREC deploys reef material, including retired vessels, from an anchored barge using differential GPS, so the positions in its reef guide mark where material was put down. Development began in 1995 and DNREC says it will continue.

The 14 sites are spread across the bay and the ocean, and the amount of material varies a lot from site to site. The reef guide has charts showing where material has been deployed, and DNREC publishes new editions. We recommend getting the current edition instead of relying on old coordinates, because new material is added over time.

Finding a reef

DNREC suggests using your own GPS and a good fathometer to locate the structure, and then noting the coordinates yourself. The coordinates in the guide mark deployments, and different GPS receivers can read slightly differently. In practice that means arriving at the published position, then using your depth sounder to find the bottom structure and marking it yourself.

The reef guide is online on DNREC’s artificial reef page, and you can ask for a copy from the Fisheries Little Creek field office at (302) 735-2960. The summary above has the program details and the date we checked them.

What lives on the reefs

DNREC names tautog, black sea bass, scup, spadefish and triggerfish as the reef fish. They live on and around the structure for food and shelter. Gamefish such as bluefish, striped bass and weakfish do not live on the reef but hunt the baitfish around it, which is why anglers sometimes catch them on structure.

Rules to know

The summary above lists the rules we confirmed. The ones that matter most on the reefs:

• Black sea bass. Open May 1 through December 31, with a 12.5 inch minimum and a limit of 15.
• Scup. Nine inches minimum, with a limit of 30.
• Summer flounder. The minimum size is 16 inches through May 31 and 17.5 inches from June 1, with a limit of four a day.
• Bluefish. No size limit, with five a day from a private vessel or shore.
• Striped bass. One a day, 28 to 31 inches. When fishing with cut or whole natural bait, you must use a non-offset circle hook.
• Weakfish. Thirteen inches minimum, one a day.

Tautog has a special season and size limit that we could not confirm against a current table, so we are not printing it here. We also did not find limits for spadefish and triggerfish in the table we read. The Delaware Fishing Guide has the current rules, and it says new regulations will likely be needed for several tidal species in 2026. See the rules and license guide for licenses.

Delaware requires boat registration and life jackets, and offers an optional boat fishing license that covers everyone aboard: $40 for a boat 20 feet or less and $50 for a longer one. The Delaware Bay boat guide covers those rules in detail.

How to fish a reef

Reef fishing is about getting a bait or lure to the bottom and keeping it there. Tautog and black sea bass are bottom fish, and they sit tight to structure. A weighted rig with a hook sized to the bait is the usual approach, and baits such as crab or clam are common choices. You should expect to lose some rigs on hard structure. Carry spare leaders, hooks and sinkers, and use a heavier leader than you would over sand.

Drift or anchor depending on the depth and current. With an anchor you stay on one piece of structure. Drifting covers more ground but is harder to control on hard bottom. A good depth sounder is the most useful tool on a reef, because it shows where the fish and the structure are.

Gear that fits

A stout boat rod with a firm tip works best on a reef. It needs enough backbone to pull a fish out of the structure before it dives into it, and enough feel to detect a tautog bite. Conventional or heavy spinning outfits with 20 to 50 pound braided line are common. These are typical setups, not requirements.

A custom rod can be built around the way you fish a reef, with a tip firm enough to set a hook on a tog and a butt strong enough to winch a fish out of rock. Tell us what you target and how you fish, and we can build the rod around it.

Safety

Reefs lie offshore or in open bay water. Check the marine forecast, tell someone your plan, carry a VHF radio or another way to call for help and wear a life jacket. Mark the reef positions in your own GPS before you leave, and do not anchor in a way that can snag on material that you cannot recover.

Eating the fish

DNREC’s advisory for Atlantic coastal waters lists striped bass at 3 meals a year with a star, and bluefish at 12 meals if 20 inches or less and 3 with a star if longer. A star means women who are or may become pregnant or breastfeeding and children should not eat those fish. The summary has the full wording and the date we checked it.

Nearby

For the inlet jetties, where tautog are also caught from shore, see the Indian River Inlet guide. For the beaches, see the surf fishing guide.