A peninsula state on the east coast of the US, Delaware is rife with freshwater and marine resources. Many of these intersect with one another to support complex communities of terrestrial to fully aquatic flora and fauna. With lake, pond, and river systems numbering in the hundreds, the associated wetlands cover approximately 25% of the state’s entire surface area. Salt marshes, forested ponds, and swamps are just a few of their unique biomes.
The Delaware River Basin is one of the state’s most important freshwater systems. Shared with Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, it exits into the Delaware Bay and supplies water to many of its adjacent industrial centers. The river carries important nutrients into recreational lakes and streams, ensuring that a well-balanced ecology is sustained. Thriving populations of freshwater fish rely on the continuous flow of its tributaries.
With a continental climate and a fairly protected coastline, Delaware offers fishing opportunities in both tidal and non-tidal areas. Dozens of its rivers, lakes, and ponds have self-sustaining communities of ecologically important fish species. With over 100 fish to choose from, its freshwater resources are truly diverse. Consult the list below for some of the state’s most valued native and non-native fishes.
Delaware Freshwater Fish Species
1) Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)
Named for its enormous mouth relative to its overall body size, the largemouth bass is a formidable predator wherever it is found. This economically significant species is a fantastic sport fish, makes for great eating, and plays an important role in the food chain of freshwater systems. It feeds on just about anything that can fit into its impressive gape, including small mammals and waterfowl.
The largemouth bass favors lightly stained to murky water conditions and can be found swimming in depths of up to 60 feet (18 meters). In Delaware, its populations are abundant and are found throughout all major freshwater bodies in the state. Using a variety of baits, individuals measuring at least 12 – 15 inches (30 – 38 cm) can legally be fished all year round. Though this fish was originally considered a non-native, its presence is now widely favored.
2) Walleye (Sander vitreus)
Able to grow to a relatively long length of about 42 inches (107 cm), the walleye is a medium to large perciform. It is named for the cloudy or pearlescent appearance of its eyes, which are highly adept at seeing in low-light and turbid water conditions. For this reason, this fish often makes an appearance in rough waters that lift bottom substrates, causing the visibility to decrease. It also tends to feed at night, when the vision of its competitors is compromised by darkness.
Equipped with sharp teeth, this predator feeds on smaller freshwater fish species. Along the northern reaches of the state, it is found in the Delaware River, Christina River, and Brandywine Creek. Local anglers are able to catch it all year round without size and daily catch limits because it is considered a non-native species.
3) Striped bass (Morone saxatilis)
This anadromous bass is the state fish of Maryland, which borders the western part of Delaware. As both states share several river systems, it follows that the striped bass also plays an important role in the latter. Distinguished by the lateral stripes extending over both sides of its body, it is an impressively-sized species that can weigh as much as 124 pounds (56 kg)! On average, however, most caught specimens weigh just 5 – 20 pounds (2 – 9 kg).
The striped bass spends the majority of its life at sea, only venturing into freshwater systems to spawn. It is mostly found in coastal locations and is rarely caught in inland ponds and streams. Though this fish can legally be caught at any time of the year in Delaware, there are strict limits as to where they can be fished. Moreover, anglers are permitted to catch just 1 – 2 specimens per day.
4) Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)
The bluegill favors shallow water conditions with vertical vegetation. It is present in many lakes, rivers, ponds, creeks, and streams throughout Delaware and its neighboring states. Wherever its populations are productive and abundant, it plays a major role in the freshwater food web. As both a primary consumer and forage fish for many larger species, its controlled populations are crucial for a well-balanced ecology.
This valuable panfish is favored by anglers for its bold disposition, manageable size, and willingness to take both live and artificial bait. It usually spawns in late spring to summer, with the peak of the spawning season occurring as temperatures reach about 20 – 27˚C (68 – 81˚F). Males create clusters of spawning beds (called “nests”) and guard the eggs. The spawning period is the best time to catch bluegills.
5) Yellow perch (Perca flavescens)
Also called American river perch, raccoon perch, or striped perch, the yellow perch is set apart by its golden-brown to olive-yellow coloration. Along the length of its flanks are thick, vertical bars extending from its dorsal region to its abdomen. On average, mature specimens of this fish measure around 7 inches (18 cm) long and seldom weigh more than 4 pounds (1.8 kg).
In Delaware, yellow perch is known for being abundant and for being found practically all throughout the state. Its largest populations favor open water conditions in rivers and ponds. Also considered a type of panfish, it thrives best in cool and slow-moving waters. If its populations are not controlled by predation, it can quickly dominate entire pools. In the process, it can compromise the populations of many native fish species.
6) American shad (Alosa sapidissima)
A historically important species, the American shad is an anadromous fish. It spends most of its adult life in the ocean, feeding and storing nutrients in preparation for spawning. It usually enters freshwater systems as soon as water temperatures increase to about 10 – 13˚C (50 – 55˚F) in late spring to early summer. In Delaware, the annual shad run thus takes place from May to June. In this fish’s efforts to find a suitable spawning location, it can cover impressive distances.
Abundant in Delaware Bay, Delaware River, and Nanticoke River during its spawning period, adult shad can subsist on a diet of plankton, small eggs, and small crustaceans. The striped bass, another common fish in the area, often favors American shad as forage fish. Those that survive past their upriver migration exit back into the ocean and spend another year in preparation for spawning.
7) Brown trout (Salmo trutta)
This commercially important species is not native to Delaware, but its populations are frequently replenished by stocked specimens. As a result, it is now found in many of the state’s creeks and ponds. Its spread appears to be controlled as it is largely restricted to Newcastle County, Sussex County, and Kent County.
Summer temperatures are a major factor in brown trout survival in Delaware. This cool water fish rarely makes it through warm conditions, so any stocked populations are meant to be thoroughly fished. In the area, anglers successfully catch them with the use of live bait and artificial flies. Whether they want to keep them or release them back into the wild is within their discretion.
8) Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy)
The largest of all pikes in the Esocidae family, the muskellunge is an apex predator with an aggressive personality. On average, it can easily measure anywhere between 2 – 4 feet (61 – 122 cm) long. Some monster-sized specimens, however, have broken records at 6 feet (1.8 meters)! Known for their elongated body and a striped to speckled appearance, muskies are often sought by experienced anglers wishing to add a trophy fish to their record.
Muskies appear to be restricted to the Christina River and Brandywine Creek in northern Delaware. There, they can be fished all year round without daily catch or size limits. These ambush predators are not actually native to local waters and are suspected to have entered the state via stocked river systems in Pennsylvania.
9) Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu)
One of the most highly-sought gamefish in all of the US, the smallmouth bass has an impressively widespread distribution due to intentional and accidental stocking. Wherever it is found, it plays a vital role as an apex predator. Able to swiftly swim toward its prey using its muscular and slender body, it is a visual feeder with a strict preference for cool, high-visibility waters.
The smallmouth bass is not actually native to Delaware’s waters. However, many local anglers favor its presence and regularly search for it in Christina River, Brandywine Creek, Red Clay Creek, and White Clay Creek. It is a formidable target even for the most experienced of fishers because of its feistiness and strength. Those that are successfully fished in the state tend to measure around 12 inches (30 cm) long.
10) Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)
The most heavily farmed and fished catfish species in the US, the channel cat is a remarkably hardy creature. This large, scaleless, and heavy-bodied fish can persist in polluted water conditions, outcompeting many native species. Moreover, as an omnivore, it feeds on both plant material and live prey. Favored prey types include smaller fish, frogs, and insects.
The channel catfish is fairly abundant in the rivers, lakes, and deep ponds of Delaware. It is not considered a native species but is now found in almost all parts of the state due to deliberate and unintentional introductions. It can legally be fished without restrictions. Locally caught specimens measure anywhere from 12 – 18 inches (30 – 46 cm) on average.
11) Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)
The official state fish of two of Delaware’s neighboring states, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the brook trout favors mild freshwater conditions in high-flow habitats. In Delaware, it is found in several creeks and ponds in Sussex County, Newcastle County, and Kent County. The fishing season for this species runs from either March or April (depending on the body of water) each year. While there are no size limits for S. fontinalis, a limited number of trout is allowed per fisher per day.
Like many other species in its genus, the brook trout is set apart by its eye-catching appearance. Marbled shading over a base of deep-green to brown colors extends along the length of the fish. Over both sides of its body are dense speckles of bright spots. A salmonid, its average length varies between 9 – 25 inches (23 – 64 cm) long. A heavier current, high food availability, and mild temperatures interact to positively influence its growth rate.
12) American eel (Anguilla rostrata)
The American eel is naturally found in Delaware, where its sea-borne juveniles and adults favor conditions in estuaries, streams, rivers, and ponds. They tend to remain close to muddy bottoms as they feed on a wide range of aquatic insects, small mollusks, worms, and grass shrimp. Once adults are mature enough to reproduce, they migrate into the Atlantic Ocean and swim toward the Sargasso Sea.
American eels return to the inland waters of the East Coast as glass eels. This stage of growth was once economically important; there was high demand for glass eels as an edible commodity in the EU. Today, however, these hatchlings are now forbidden from being sold in most places. Unfortunately, manmade developments and unregulated fishing have negatively affected American eel populations.
13) Longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus)
Named for the snout-like structure of its elongated jaws, the longnose gar is often regarded as a living fossil. A bony fish, it is set apart by many primitive features, including a swim bladder lung and a spiral valve-type intestine that initially appeared millions of years ago in fossil history. With its torpedo-shaped and impeccably streamlined body, it can stealthily maneuver through the vegetated shorelines of its aquatic habitats.
With rows of sharp teeth along the sides of its upper jaw, the longnose gar is an apex predator. It usually chooses to feed at night, when smaller fish, insects, and crustaceans may fail to detect its approach. In Delaware, it tends to feed in the sluggish zones of Broad Creek and Nanticoke River. As it is known for being quite common, it can be fished without size or daily catch restrictions.
14) Northern snakehead (Channa argus)
A non-native species, the northern snakehead has been introduced into many regions outside of Asia. Wherever its populations can become established, this fish has a high chance of becoming invasive. The expansion of its reach is due, in part, to its ability to survive for a few days out of water. As long as this fish’s body stays moist, it is able to breathe oxygen via a specialized swim bladder.
Now found in a handful of Delaware’s creeks, streams, and ponds, the northern snakehead feeds on a diversity of animals. Apart from favoring fish and crustaceans, it is also known to thrive on the meat of frogs, small mammals, and even reptiles. Locals are encouraged to immediately kill this species upon landing it.
15) White sucker (Catostomus commersonii)
Named for the fleshy and pouty appearance of its lips, this suction-feeding fish prefers to stay close to bottom sediments. In ponds, rivers, and streams, it subsists on a diet of macrobenthic organisms, plant matter, and algae. Fairly tolerant of turbid conditions and pollution, it can thrive in waters that threaten the survival of many other freshwater species. As a result, it tends to be common throughout its natural range.
Though this species can grow to a full size of about 20 inches (51 cm), it is rarely utilized as a food fish. Instead, it is often used by anglers as bait because many larger game fishes favor its meat. Bass, catfish, and muskellunge are just a few predators that regularly feed on white suckers. The best time to search for this fish is in spring, when adults congregate to spawn in the shallow waters of New Castle County.
16) Golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas)
Abundant in the calm and quiet ponds and rivers of Delaware, the golden shiner is a small cyprinid. Often used as bait or forage fish, it is now widely grown in private ponds across the US. Wild specimens typically measure just 3 – 5 inches (8 – 13 cm) long. Distinguished by a relatively large anal fin and golden to olive coloration, it is usually found in large groups.
During the spawning period, mature golden shiners take to vegetated shorelines. There, they release hundreds of thousands of sticky eggs. The eggs that manage to survive predation hatch into fry that consume algae and plankton. This diet is sustained into adulthood. In Delaware, where this fish can be caught without limits all year round; it is known for being quite abundant.
17) Bowfin (Amia calva)
Although the bowfin is naturally found in Delaware, it is not particularly common in the state’s waters. Its range is mostly restricted to the clear backwaters of New Castle County. It keeps to areas with rich structural diversity as it hides in tangles of aquatic weeds and fallen branches. Interestingly, this fish has an evolutionary advantage over many native species as it is able to breathe air from the surface. Due to this feature and a few more unusual morphological traits, it is often considered a primitive fish.
Although there are no limits to fishing bowfins in Delaware, local anglers are encouraged to carefully handle any caught specimens and return them to the water. This species’ presence helps control populations of small fish and crayfish because these are its favored types of prey.
18) Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Unarguably one of the most attractive gamefish species, the rainbow trout has been introduced into freshwater systems far outside of its native range. In Delaware, where it is a non-native species, it is regularly stocked to meet the demands of local fishers. Once the trout season opens at around March – April, fishers must strictly observe daily catch limits.
Rainbow trout favor conditions in well-oxygenated streams, where they can feed on many aquatic insects and on small fish. They do not necessarily compromise the survival of native species as they struggle to create self-sustaining populations in Delaware’s waters. Furthermore, most of the stocked specimens are immediately fished. Those that do manage to evade anglers struggle to make it through summer.
19) Redear sunfish (Lepomis microlophus)
Among all of Delaware’s sunfish species, L. microlophus happens to be the least colorful. Nonetheless, it makes up for its dull coloration with its agreeable size. Adults can measure as long as 17 inches (43 cm), and, on average, grow larger than the typical bluegill (L. macrochirus). This panfish is fondly called “shellcracker” due to its tendency to crack the shells of mollusks. Snails are its favorite treat.
Quite popular among local fishers, the redear sunfish is a common species in Delaware. Considerably-sized populations are found in several lakes, ponds, and rivers that are connected to the coastline. They favor slow-moving bodies of water and prefer to remain close to vegetation and submerged logs.
20) Shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum)
A long-lived, seemingly prehistoric fish with an unforgettable appearance, the shortnose sturgeon is occasionally found in the Delaware River. It spends most of its time resting and searching for food on the bottom of the river, its tributaries, and its estuarine areas. As an amphidromous species, it ventures further inland to spawn. Those that do enter Delaware’s marine waters rarely stray far from the coast.
Due to its rare occurrence and vulnerable status (on the IUCN Red List), the shortnose sturgeon is a protected species. In Delaware, it is illegal to target and catch this fish at any time of year. Those that are caught by accident have to be released back into the wild and the incident must be reported to the local fish and wildlife department.
21) Chain pickerel (Esox niger)
As suggested by its common name, the pattern on the flanks of E. niger resembles that of a chain. Apart from this distinguishing feature, it is set apart by its greenish hue and the duckbill-like shape of its mouth. It is usually found in shallow, vegetated waters that are frequented by amphibians and smaller fish.
Anglers often rave about this species due to its appeal as an aggressive and remarkably energetic fish on the line. Due to its elongated and streamlined body, it is able to move like a torpedo in water. The chain pickerel is naturally found in Delaware, where it is common in the state’s major freshwater systems. It is not particularly favorable as table fare, so caught specimens are frequently unhooked and released.
22) Black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus)
The black crappie is abundant in Delaware, although it is considered a non-native species in the state. Found in most of the state’s major freshwater systems, it gathers in large schools that remain in the heavily vegetated parts of reservoirs, pools, and lakes. For cover in high visibility waters, it stays close to brush piles, fallen canopies, and submerged logs.
A relatively small sportfish that grows to just 4 – 8 inches (10 – 20 cm) long, the black crappie feeds on a wide range of aquatic insects, small fishes, and small crustaceans. Many larger sportfish species (e.g. largemouth and smallmouth bass) predate on crappies and help regulate the growth of their populations. In the absence of predators, stunted growth is often observed due to reduced space and increased competition between the prolific crappies themselves. Their natural presence in controlled numbers can be an indicator of an ecologically balanced food web.
