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Broadkill River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Delaware’s marsh river: the Broadkill runs stripers, white perch and blue crabs to Delaware Bay at Lewes.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
1 cfs
Air / High
86 / 87 F
Wind
N 6 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 01484100, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Broadkill River offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. The river is running 1 cfs, on the rise. Today brings clear skies, wind N around 6 mph, rising pressure near 1012 hPa and a high of 87. Water sits around 72 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

BluefishExcellent

Follow the bunker and mullet schools: blitzes can erupt anywhere on the beach. Wire or heavy leader always.

Redfish (red drum)Excellent

Prime sight-fishing: tailing fish on shallow flats, schools pushing water. Weedless spoons, shrimp under a popping cork, cut mullet in the guts.

Striped bassGood

Surface action windows at dawn; otherwise free-lines and planer boards over long points and humps.

Tomorrow: Cooler at 79 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Beaverdam Branch at Houston (regional).

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 01484100.

38131 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp86 F
High / Low87 / 73 F
WindN 6-11 mph
Pressure1011.9 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain2% cloud, 89%
Sunrise / Sunset06:32 / 19:26
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~72 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 87/73 F, wind 13 mph, rain 89%

Slow. High rain chance; fish the front edge before it arrives.

Species guide

The species that matter on Broadkill River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Striped bass illustration

Striped bass

Best: spring and fall

The reservoir heavyweight. Follows shad and herring schools in open water year-round. Surface action windows at dawn; otherwise free-lines and planer boards over long points and humps.

Bluefish illustration

Bluefish

Best: Sep-Oct blitzes

The ocean's most honest fish: when blues blitz bait on the beach, everything with hooks gets bit. Follow the bunker and mullet schools: blitzes can erupt anywhere on the beach. Wire or heavy leader always.

Redfish (red drum) illustration

Redfish (red drum)

Best: Sep-Nov bull run

The copper-flanked king of the flats and surf: tailing in inches of water, schooling by the hundred in fall. Prime sight-fishing: tailing fish on shallow flats, schools pushing water. Weedless spoons, shrimp under a popping cork, cut mullet in the guts.

When to come: the Broadkill River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Striped bass
Bluefish
Redfish (red drum)
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 72 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~72 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Broadkill River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Striped bass led the card at excellent. High of 89 F, wind to 12 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Striped bass led the card at excellent. High of 78 F, wind to 14 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Striped bass led the card at excellent. High of 94 F, wind to 15 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Delaware requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Delaware fishing license. Striped bass, flounder and crab rules per current DNREC regulations.

Access

Roosevelt Inlet ramp and river access; extensive kayak access through the marsh; Prime Hook refuge nearby.

About this water

A tidal marsh river entering Delaware Bay near Lewes, Sussex County, Delaware.

Fishing Broadkill River: the full guide

A tidal marsh river

The Broadkill River winds through the salt marshes of southern Delaware to Delaware Bay near Lewes, a tidal river of grass banks, oyster edges and mud flats. It holds striped bass, white perch, weakfish, summer flounder and the blue crabs that draw as many people as the fishing does. Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge protects much of the marsh.

Stripers and perch

Striped bass follow bait into the river on the tides, holding on the deeper bends, oyster edges and around the Roosevelt Inlet at the mouth: plugs, plastics and live bait on the moving water. White perch are abundant year-round and provide steady light-tackle action, particularly in the upper river and creeks in the cooler months.

Flounder and crabs

Summer flounder work the channel edges and the inlet, drifted with squid and minnow rigs. Blue crabs fill the marsh creeks in summer, taken with traps and hand lines, and are a genuine part of the local fishing culture. The marsh setting means shallow water, strong tides and a fishery that rewards knowing the drains.

Sussex County logistics

Ramps at Roosevelt Inlet and along the river serve boats, with kayak access excellent throughout the marsh. Lewes provides services minutes away, and the Cape Henlopen area adds surf and inlet fishing. Tides run hard through the inlet: plan around them, and mind the shallow water outside the marked channels.

Common questions

What can I catch?

Striped bass and white perch year-round, with summer flounder in the channels and blue crabs in the marsh creeks.

Is it good for kayaks?

Excellent: shallow marsh creeks and protected water, though the tides run hard through the inlet.

Where does it meet the bay?

At Roosevelt Inlet near Lewes, which concentrates fish on moving tides and offers boat and shore access.

Is fishing good at Broadkill River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Rehoboth Bay9 miIndian River Inlet14 miCape May18 miDelaware Bay19 miNanticoke River22 miSilver Lake31 mi
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