Delaware Fishing Calendar
What's biting month by month, and how many Delaware charters on Unreel target each fish.
| Fish | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Flounder15 charters · May to September | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
Black Sea Bass11 charters · May to October | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Bluefish8 charters · May to October | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Mahi-Mahi6 charters · June to September | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: off peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Shark6 charters · June to September | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: off peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Striped Bass4 charters · April to June and October to December | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: off peak | October: peak | November: peak | December: peak |
 Marlin3 charters · July to September | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: off peak | June: off peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Wahoo3 charters · July to September | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: off peak | June: off peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
Shaded months are the typical peak for a charter trip. The outlined column is this month.
Delaware fishing, month by month
- January
- Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.
- February
- Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.
- March
- Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.
- April
- Striped Bass
- June
- Flounder, Black Sea Bass, Bluefish, Mahi-Mahi, Shark, Striped Bass
- October
- Black Sea Bass, Bluefish, Striped Bass
- November
- Striped Bass
- December
- Striped Bass
Before you book
- Striped Bass: Striped bass is closed in federal waters, more than 3 miles offshore, so trips fish inside that line. Many states also close spawning rivers in spring.
How this calendar is built
The charter counts are live from the Unreel directory: each one is a Delaware charter that lists that fish as a target. A fish only appears here if at least three local charters target it.
The shaded months are general peak windows for the Mid-Atlantic, not fishing regulations. For ocean species, the spawning, migration and federal closure notes were checked against NOAA Fisheries species profiles, and for inshore and freshwater species against state wildlife agency guidance and rules. Seasons, closures and limits change every year and can differ by water, so check Delaware's current regulations and ask your captain what is running before you book.