Fishing the Delaware Inland Bays

Delaware’s Inland Bays, Rehoboth Bay, Indian River Bay and Little Assawoman Bay, are shallow, sheltered water behind the ocean beaches. They are easier for beginners than the inlet or the surf, and several public piers and ramps make them workable without a boat. This guide covers the access areas the Delaware Fishing Guide lists, what DNREC’s recent report says about the fishing and the rules that apply.

Public access

The Delaware Fishing Guide lists these access areas on the Inland Bays. Seasonal or daily fees may be required at areas run by the Division of Parks and Recreation, and shoreline access depends on your own mobility, so visit a site first if that matters.

• Masseys Landing (Indian River and Rehoboth Bay) has a four-lane boat ramp and a fishing pier.
• Rosedale Beach (Indian River) has a one-lane boat ramp and a fishing pier.
• Holts Landing (Indian River Bay) has a one-lane boat ramp and a fishing pier.
• Mulberry Landing, in the Assawoman Wildlife Area on Little Assawoman Bay, has a one-lane boat ramp and no pier, with plenty of access along the bulkhead.

Fishing from the floating courtesy docks at the ramps is not allowed. Motorboats launched from tidal ramps run by the Division of Fish and Wildlife must be registered in Delaware or have a Tidal Access Boat Ramp Certificate. The guide marks each of these ramps as having an ADA accessible courtesy dock, which is there to help with launching and not for fishing. Our fishing piers guide compares piers across the state.

What is biting

DNREC’s weekly report is the best way to learn what is running. We use it only for context. In the October 29, 2026 report, one tackle shop said anglers fishing from the pier at Masseys Landing with sand fleas were catching tautog. The report also said that with rough seas in the ocean and the bay, the fish being caught were mostly in sheltered waters, including Indian River Inlet, the back bays and freshwater. That is the Inland Bays’ main advantage: they stay fishable when the ocean does not.

Regional reports name summer flounder, black sea bass, spot, croaker and spotted seatrout in the bays through the warm months. Those reports are older and vary by year, so check the current report before you go.

Fishing from a pier

The piers let you reach moving water without a boat. A medium spinning rod around 7 to 9 feet will do for most of what comes to a pier here. Use a bottom rig for flounder, spot and croaker, and a sand flea or crab rig for tautog around pilings. Bloodworms, squid and minnows are common baits. Bring a drop net, since a keeper flounder is easy to lose at the rail.

Fish the moving tide. Current brings food past the pilings and gets fish feeding, and slack water is usually slower. A tide table for the bay is worth checking before you leave.

Rules to know

The summary above lists the limits we confirmed. Some of the ones that matter most in the bays:

• 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.
• Spotted seatrout. Twelve inches minimum, with no daily limit.
• Atlantic croaker and spot. Croaker must be eight inches or longer, with a limit of 50. Spot have no size limit and a limit of 50.
• 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.

Tautog and sheepshead limits are not in the table we read, and we could not confirm the tautog season, so we are leaving them out. The Delaware Fishing Guide says new regulations will likely be needed for several tidal species in 2026. Check the current version before you keep fish. A Delaware fishing license is required at 16 unless you are exempt. The rules and license guide has the details.

Shellfish leases

The Delaware Fishing Guide warns anglers and boaters that shellfish aquaculture leasing is underway in the Inland Bays, and it points readers to page 16 for how leases are marked. Leased areas are private bottom used to grow shellfish, so stay clear of marked areas, avoid anchoring or dragging a bait rig through them and read the guide’s description before you boat in unfamiliar water.

Gear that fits the bays

A 7 to 9 foot medium spinning rod with 10 to 15 pound line is a sensible all-round choice. Light line and a sensitive tip help with croaker and spot, and a tip with some give helps a hooked flounder stay on. These are typical setups, not requirements.

A custom rod can be built for the way you fish a pier or a flat, and tuned for a sensitive tip, a light grip and the right length for your boat or your pier. If you tell us where you fish and what you target, we can build the rod around it.

Safety

Shallow water can be deceptively cold, and wind against the tide can push up a steep chop in an open bay. Wear a life jacket in a small boat or kayak. On a pier, watch for wet boards and other anglers’ hooks, and keep children close.

Eating the fish

DNREC’s advisory for Atlantic coastal waters, including the Inland Bays, 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 ocean side, see the Indian River Inlet guide. For the canal that joins Rehoboth Bay to Delaware Bay, see the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal guide.