Atlantic Sturgeon in the Delaware River

The Delaware River carries heavy shipping and industry, and it is also water that Atlantic sturgeon still use. These are large fish, and they are protected. Most anglers will never hook one, but if you fish the river it helps to know what they are and what to do. This story draws on DNREC’s sturgeon page, which we read on November 1, 2026.

An endangered fish

Atlantic sturgeon were added to the federal Endangered Species List in 2012. In 2017, portions of the Delaware River were determined to be critical habitat for them. Because they are endangered, no harvest is permitted in Delaware. DNREC’s page says adults climb large coastal rivers to spawn in April and May, at water temperatures from 55 to 65 degrees.

DNREC runs juvenile abundance surveys on the Delaware River to monitor population levels and evaluate spawning success. For the Nanticoke River, the agency says it believes there is a very small spawning population in the watershed. These are the facts we could confirm. Older accounts of the river’s history as a sturgeon fishery, and population estimates from research studies, appear in other places. We have not checked them against their sources, so we do not repeat them.

Why it matters to anglers

Sturgeon are not a target fish, and you are unlikely to meet one. But the river’s striped bass, catfish and white perch fisheries overlap with sturgeon water, and the Delaware River and C&D Canal guide covers where and how people fish it. Knowing what a sturgeon looks like, and what to do with one, protects both the fish and you.

If you hook or find one

DNREC asks anglers to report any encounter, live or dead. The agency’s instructions:

• Use the reporting form on DNREC’s sturgeon page to tell the agency about the interaction.
• Write down the location and the length of the fish, and any tag numbers.
• If the fish has a tag, write down the tag number and call the number printed on the tag.
• Photograph the whole fish and its mouth, if you can.
• For help with the form, email Sturgeon@delaware.gov or call 302-735-8663.

The rules summary above lists the same steps with the date we checked them.

What you can take from it

A few habits help: know what you are fishing for, handle any unexpected large fish quickly and gently, and report what you see. DNREC’s reports are how the agency learns where these fish are.

Where to fish the river

The Delaware River and C&D Canal guide covers access, rules and tackle for the river. For more verified stories and the state records list, see the Delaware Dock Tales index.