🎣 Delmarva Fishing Report
Thursday, October 22, 2026 · Rehoboth · Rehoboth Bay · Lewes · Indian River Inlet · Ocean City MD
⚠ WEATHER FIRST: A dry nor'easter is stalling the coast: NE winds 20–30 kt, seas up to 11 ft, Small Craft Advisory through Friday evening, coastal flood warning for east-facing beaches. The ocean surf is unfishable and the Faithful Steward crossing at the Inlet is closed from overwash. Seas stay 4–5 ft into the weekend, and another low is forming to the south. Plan on protected water: the Inlet, bay-side structure, and back bays.
⭐ Quick Summary – Top 3 Targets Right Now
1
TAUTOG
Biting well at Indian River Inlet and Massey's Landing pier, and improving at OC Inlet jetties as water cools.
Sand fleas or green crab. (Live green crabs are scarce, so pack extra fleas.)
2
BLUEFISH
Snappers to 10+ lb at Indian River Inlet on
incoming tide, metal lures. Beach bluefish on cut bunker when the surf calms.
3
RED DRUM
Up to 45" released at Fenwick Island and Assateague, with 24–26" fish at 3Rs Road.
Fresh cut spot is the bait. A catch-and-release trophy once the surf is fishable again.
Honorable mentions: evening striped bass on cut bait in the OC Inlet current, black sea bass (Lewes and OC wrecks), and swordfish at the canyons, which is the best bite in years.
🌡 Water Temps
Indian River Inlet
63°Fdown from earlier this month
Upper / Mid Chesapeake
~65°Fstill dropping
Tidal rivers
mid-50sbaitfish moving out
NOAA Buoy 44009n/atemp sensor offline
NE wind 10 m/s (about 19 kt)
Striped bass action should turn on as water drops below about 60°F. Back-bay water is cloudy from the wind.
📊 Bite Meter (all areas)
Striped bass (OC eve.)
GOOD
Kingfish / spot (surf)
FAIR
*Red drum bite is from the last report before the storm. Surf is currently blown out.
📍 Rehoboth Beach, DE – Surf, Pier, Nearshore
SURF BLOWN OUTRED DRUM · BLUES · KINGS
Species
- Red drum: fish to 45" released at Fenwick Island, and 24–26" fish at 3Rs Road.
- Bluefish: from the beach on cut bunker.
- Kingfish: on bloodworms. Fenwick-area kings only show when the surf is calm.
- Inshore ocean: a big Atlantic bonito hit a metal jig at the Old Grounds. Sea bass inshore are mostly shorts, so run deeper for keepers.
Baits & Rigs
- Fresh cut spot on a fish-finder rig for drum; cut bunker for blues; bloodworms on a two-hook bottom rig for kings.
Timing
- Wait for the swell to drop (weekend winds ease to 10–15 kt, but seas stay 4–5 ft). Fish the falling tide and the first light as the surf clears.
Gaps: no current pier or charter report for Rehoboth itself was published. The Delaware Surf Fishing site's latest dated entry was years old, so I excluded it.
📍 Rehoboth Bay, DE – Bay Fishing
LIMITED REPORTS
- No current Rehoboth Bay-specific report was published this week.
- The Fisherman and local reports show the late-season flounder bite slowing as water cools, with fish moving toward the inlets and offshore.
- What to try: bay-side docks, bridge pilings, and the Massey's Landing pier, where tautog were caught at various tides on sand fleas and crab baits. Carry bloodworms in case of white perch and small stripers.
Check with local shops for fresh bay intel; see Rick's Tackle below.
📍 Lewes, DE – Canal & Outer Breakers
SEA BASSSMALL STRIPERS
- Black sea bass off Lewes: some boats limited out, others got mostly shorts and a few keepers. Deeper water gave more keepers.
- Delaware Bay shore: white perch on bloodworms and catfish on cut bunker from Augustine to Woodland Beach and along the C&D Canal banks. Woodland Beach pier gave mostly small stripers (bloodworms, peeler crab, shrimp).
- Outer breakers: no fresh breakwater-specific report found. Expect tautog on the rock with sand fleas and crabs, as at the other structure this week.
- Offshore: swordfish over 100 lb (two on one boat), tilefish, an 87-lb bluefin and yellowfin tuna.
📍 Indian River Inlet, DE – Both Sides & Bay Behind
HOT: TOGHOT: BLUESSHEEPSHEAD FADING
Species
- Tautog: "biting well" as of Oct 21. Also caught at Massey's Landing pier at varying times and tides.
- Bluefish: snappers to over 10 lb on incoming tides with metal lures.
- Sheepshead and triggerfish: sheepshead slowing and expected to head south. A few triggerfish are still on sand fleas and crabs.
Baits
- Sand fleas and crab on tog rigs (live green crab is unavailable). Metal jigs for blues.
Conditions
- Water 63°F. The surf is unfishable and the Faithful Steward crossing is closed by high-tide overwash. Dress for spray; hypothermia is a real risk in this wind.
📍 Ocean City, MD – Surf, Inlet, Offshore
HOT: SWORDFISHTOG · STRIPERSFLOUNDER POOR
Inlet & Back Bays
- Tautog improving on jetty rocks, bulkheads, and bridge piers with sand fleas or green crab pieces.
- Striped bass biting in the evening on cut bait drifted in the current, with some taken on soft-plastic jigs near the jetty rocks. Earlier reports had fish around Route 50 bridge pilings, docks, and creek mouths.
- Flounder: possible in the inlet channels and East Channel on a flood tide, using big baits (spot, mullet, menhaden). The inshore lumps are poor because of cloudy water.
- Sheepshead have left. Back-bay water is cloudy.
Surf / Assateague
- Large red drum are released on fresh cut bait. Inshore sharks and cownose rays are a nuisance; kingfish and spot hit smaller baits when calm.
Nearshore & Offshore
- Black sea bass: fair on clam and squid; fish are caught but limits are rare. Expect improvement in November–December.
- Swordfish: the best numbers in a long time at about 1,150–1,200 ft, on rigged eels and squid or strip baits.
- Deep-drop: blueline and golden tilefish are good. Small dolphin near floating structure and pot buoys.
Charters & Tournaments
- Captain Dave's OC report closed for the season on Sep 25 (hunting charters now, fishing reports resume spring 2027). No tournament activity turned up in this search.
🏪 Rick's Tackle – Long Neck, DE
Your local stop for fresh sand fleas, bloodworms, terminal tackle, and up-to-the-minute bay and inlet intel. Stop in before heading to the Inlet or the bays.
📝 Notes & Sources
Compiled Oct 22, 2026 from public reports; some local sources (Facebook groups, Lewes/Rehoboth Beach Fishing Club, Fisherman magazine details, Indian River Marina) were not reachable or had no fresh posts. NOAA Buoy 44009 water temp was missing in the feed. Treat bay-level details as lower confidence.