Lewes–Rehoboth Canal and Roosevelt Inlet Fishing

The Lewes and Rehoboth Canal links Delaware Bay with Rehoboth Bay through Roosevelt Inlet, and it is one of the closest places to fish a protected tidal channel in Sussex County. This guide covers what we can confirm about access and rules, what regional reports have said about the fishing, and how to rig for a drift or a bank. Our sources for the fishing itself are older than we would like, and we say where that matters.

Where this water is

The canal is tidal. At its eastern end Roosevelt Inlet opens toward the Atlantic, and the Lewes end connects to the bay side. The Delaware Fishing Guide lists a public boat ramp at Lewes with six launch lanes, listed under Delaware Bay, and no fishing pier there. Fishing from the floating courtesy docks at ramps run by the Division of Fish and Wildlife is not allowed. Motorboats launched from those tidal ramps must be registered in Delaware or have a Tidal Access Boat Ramp Certificate.

We have not listed other launch points, bridges or bank spots along the canal. The Delaware Fishing Guide does not list them, and the older articles we read name places we could not confirm. If you plan to fish from the bank, visit first and check what is open to the public.

What anglers catch here

Regional articles and local reports describe summer flounder, small black sea bass, spot and some spotted seatrout in and around the canal and inlet. These reports range from 2014 to 2021, so they describe the pattern of the fishery more than the current season. For a current read, the weekly DNREC fishing report and the local tackle shops are better. The October 29, 2026 report did not mention the canal or Roosevelt Inlet.

The consistent advice in those older reports is that an incoming tide is the better time. Moving water carries bait through the inlet, and flounder and sea bass are commonly fished on the edges of a channel where they can ambush it. Minnows, squid strips and soft plastics such as Gulp! are named repeatedly as the baits that worked.

Drifting the canal

One article describes drifting from the Savannah Road bridge toward Roosevelt Inlet. The idea is simple: let the current carry the boat along the channel while you fish baits near the bottom. A small boat or kayak makes this practical. If you try it, mind the current near the inlet, the wakes from other boats and the bridge pilings. Wear a life jacket, and check the marine forecast, because wind against the tide can build a steep chop in the inlet.

A bottom rig with a bucktail or a jig head, tipped with a minnow, squid or a strip of bait, is the traditional flounder setup. Lift and drop the rig slowly rather than dragging it, so it stays near the bottom where flounder lie.

Rules to know

The summary above shows the limits and rules we confirmed. The ones that matter most here:

• 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.
• Black sea bass. Open May 1 through December 31, with a 12.5 inch minimum and a limit of 15.
• 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.
• Spotted seatrout. Twelve inches minimum, with no daily limit.
• Weakfish. Thirteen inches minimum, one a day.

The guide says new regulations will likely be needed for several tidal species in 2026, so 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 explains the license and exemptions.

Gear that fits the canal

A medium spinning rod around 6 to 7 feet is a good match for the canal and the inlet shore. It is short enough to handle in a boat or on a crowded bank, and it has the backbone to lift a flounder off the bottom. Line in the 8 to 15 pound range suits most of the fish here. These are typical setups, not requirements.

If you fish this water often, a custom rod built for jig and bucktail work, with a sensitive tip and enough strength in the butt to fight a keeper against the current, can make the fishing easier. Tell us where you fish and what you target, and we can build the rod around it.

Safety

The inlet moves water quickly on both tides, and boat traffic is heavy in summer. Fish from a boat only if you are comfortable in current, keep a life jacket on and carry a way to call for help. From the bank, watch for slippery rock and bulkhead edges.

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 pier and the beaches on the bay side, see the Cape Henlopen guide. For fishing on the bay shore farther north, see the Delaware Bay shore guide, and for the bays behind the ocean, see the Inland Bays guide.