Delaware DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife

Delaware DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware's fish and wildlife resources.

Division of Fish and Wildlife has worked to conserve and manage Delaware’s fish and wildlife resources, provide safe and enjoyable fishing, hunting, and boating opportunities to citizens and visitors, and improve the public’s understanding and interest in the state's fish and wildlife resources through information and outreach programs.

08/31/2026

White-tailed deer weren’t always as common in Delaware as they are today. 🦌

In the 1800s, deer populations dropped so low that hunting was banned statewide. Today, through science-based management and regulated hunting, Delaware’s deer herd remains healthy while reducing impacts to farms, roadways and communities.

Hunters play a critical role — supporting population balance and programs like Hunters Against Hunger, which provided more than 105,000 meals last season.

Read more about the history of deer in our state in the Outdoor Delaware article. ⬇️

🐋 Happy International Whale Shark Day!The biggest fish in the sea may be a little more difficult to spot from Delaware’...
08/30/2026

🐋 Happy International Whale Shark Day!

The biggest fish in the sea may be a little more difficult to spot from Delaware’s shoreline, but that doesn’t make these incredible animals any less fascinating.

Today, we’re celebrating the whale shark, a gentle giant that can grow to more than 40 feet long and live for decades. Despite their enormous size, whale sharks are filter feeders, swimming through the ocean with their mouths wide open to collect plankton, tiny fish and other small organisms.

Whale sharks have a unique pattern of light spots and stripes across their bodies, and no two individuals have exactly the same pattern. Researchers can use these markings to identify individual sharks and track their movements across the ocean.

Unlike many other sharks, whale sharks pose little threat to people. They’re generally slow-moving and peaceful, spending much of their time cruising through warm tropical and subtropical waters in search of food.

While whale sharks aren't regular visitors to Delaware waters, their story is a reminder of just how connected our coastal waters are to the larger Atlantic Ocean. The health of our local marine ecosystems contributes to the health of an ocean shared by wildlife traveling across incredible distances.

📷: NOOA

🦌🚨2026/27 Wildlife Area Hunting Maps Are Now Available!🚨 🦆Planning your hunts for the upcoming season? The 2026/27 Wildl...
08/28/2026

🦌🚨2026/27 Wildlife Area Hunting Maps Are Now Available!🚨 🦆

Planning your hunts for the upcoming season? The 2026/27 Wildlife Area Hunting Maps are now available online!

These maps provide hunters with important information about Delaware’s Wildlife Areas, including property boundaries, access points, parking areas, roads, designated hunting areas and other site-specific information.

Before heading into the field, take a few minutes to review the maps for the Wildlife Areas you plan to hunt and familiarize yourself with the property and any applicable regulations.

View the link to the 2026/27 Wildlife Area Hunting Maps is in the comments!

Good luck this season, hunt safely and responsibly, and Know Before You Go! 🎯🌲

🎣 Fishing Report for August 27, 2026.In the Delaware River and Bay, catfish were caught all over the upper bay and white...
08/27/2026

🎣 Fishing Report for August 27, 2026.

In the Delaware River and Bay, catfish were caught all over the upper bay and white perch were caught in the tidal creeks and rivers. The Mid-Bay reef sites have produced flounder and trout. The Bowers Beach Jetty was still good for flounder, croaker and spot. Spot and croaker were caught at Broadkill Beach while bigger croaker and some flounder were caught in the Broadkill River. Tog ,sheepshead and triggerfish were caught at the Outer Wall and Ice Breakers. The catch at the Cape Henlopen State Park Fishing Pier is still mostly spot and croaker but there were many 4 – 5 ft. sharks working the area one day.

Spot, croaker, small blues and sharks were caught in the surf and surf anglers also encountered those 4 – 5 ft. sharks .

The Indian River Inlet is producing large striped bass at night and sheepshead, triggerfish and small tog from the rocks.

A 4-ft barracuda was caught near the Buoys while sea bass and flounder were caught at the reefs in the Inshore Ocean.

The Offshore Ocean produced yellowfin tuna and tilefish from the canyons.

In freshwater, bass were reported from Garrisons Lake and Lums Pond while snakeheads were caught at Garrisons Lake.

The Point at Cape Henlopen reopens for surf fishing on September 1.

📷: T. Lindsay '2013 Fishing Photo Contest'

Delaware deer hunters will open the season on Tuesday, Sept. 1 with the archery and crossbow seasons. Gamebird hunters c...
08/26/2026

Delaware deer hunters will open the season on Tuesday, Sept. 1 with the archery and crossbow seasons. Gamebird hunters can go afield the same day for the start of resident Canada goose and mourning dove seasons. Opening later in the month are the special September teal and gray squirrel seasons. For a complete list of season dates and regulations for all species throughout the rest of the season, refer to the annual Delaware Hunting & Trapping Guide.

Recent legislative and regulatory changes present new opportunities for the 2026-27 hunting season, including:

Sunday hunting to be open for all game species
-Expanded muzzleloader specifications
-Expanded straight-walled pistol-caliber rifles
-Eliminating the minimum age requirement for the special Delaware youth hunts by the DNREC Division of -Fish and Wildlife, and
-Legislation that allows 16- and 17-year-olds to hunt and conduct target practice without direct supervision, as long as they have permission from a parent or guardian and have completed basic hunter education.

Also, for the second year, expanded hunting opportunities are available during the resident Canada goose season except at locations where and when the special September teal season is open. Hunters should check the 2026 Hunting & Trapping Guide for additional information on the changes for waterfowl hunting.

Hunters who plan to go afield during the early seasons for resident Canada geese, teal and mourning doves are reminded that these migratory bird seasons have not yet been finalized – they should check the Federal Register from Aug. 26 for news regarding the finalizing of federal regulations and expect to find final season selections for Delaware in the register by Aug. 31.

📷: DNREC

Delaware’s Advisory Council on Tidal Finfisheries will hold a hybrid (in-person and virtual) meeting to discuss various ...
08/24/2026

Delaware’s Advisory Council on Tidal Finfisheries will hold a hybrid (in-person and virtual) meeting to discuss various tidal finfish management issues at 6 p.m. Wednesday, August 26.

The in-person meeting will be held in the Little Creek Hunter Education Training Center, 3018 Bayside Dr. Dover, DE 19901.

For general meeting information, including the meeting agenda, and instructions on attending the meeting virtually, visit the Delaware Public Meeting Calendar at https://publicmeetings.delaware.gov/ #/meeting/86124

If you have questions about the meeting or for more information on Delaware fisheries, please call DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife Fisheries Section at 302-739-9914.

Illustration by Duane Raver, Jr.

Jonathan Milo of Monroe, Conn. and in-state artist George Bradford of Georgetown have claimed blue ribbons respectively ...
08/24/2026

Jonathan Milo of Monroe, Conn. and in-state artist George Bradford of Georgetown have claimed blue ribbons respectively in Delaware’s annual Waterfowl Stamp and Trout Stamp art contests, the Delaware DNREC announced today. Milo’s painting of a goldeneye duck will be featured on the 2027-28 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp. A painting of a rainbow trout by Bradford was awarded first place and will grace the 2027 Delaware Trout Stamp.

The winning 2027-28 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp will be available for purchase July 1, 2027, with the winning 2027 Delaware Trout Stamp available for purchase Jan. 1, 2027.

The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife, in partnership with Ducks Unlimited, started the Delaware Waterfowl Stamp and print program in 1980 to raise funds for waterfowl conservation, including acquiring and improving wetland habitats vital to the survival of migratory waterfowl. To date, more than $4.2 million has been raised. A Delaware waterfowl stamp and hunting license are required for most waterfowl hunters.

📷: Delaware DNREC Graphic

🚨Attention all Michael N. Castle Trail users.🚨 The bike trail will be closed today while Norfolk Dredging removes the dr...
08/24/2026

🚨Attention all Michael N. Castle Trail users.🚨

The bike trail will be closed today while Norfolk Dredging removes the dredge pipe and crossover from the trail. The bike path is expected to reopen tomorrow.

In addition, portions of the Michael N. Castle Trail along the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal will be closed weekdays from August 24 through September 4. The closure is necessary for the Army Corps' contractor to complete work on Summit Bridge. The closure will prevent continuous travel from Chesapeake City to Lums Pond trailheads.

This temporary closure is part of the ongoing painting and steel repair contract for Summit Bridge. The trail will be closed to all pedestrian traffic on weekdays and will remain open on weekends.

📷: DNREC Staff

Biologists, volunteers and the public flock together each year to witness the spectacle of birds of prey migrating by th...
08/21/2026

Biologists, volunteers and the public flock together each year to witness the spectacle of birds of prey migrating by the thousands across North America. Migratory hawk counting (known as a Hawk Watch) is the collective effort to identify and count birds of prey, such as eagles, hawks, vultures and falcons, as they migrate.

Join DNREC biologists from the Division of Fish and Wildlife to learn about the next Delaware Hawk Watch and how you can get involved! This will be a hybrid meeting, with a live option at the Ashland Nature Center in Hockessin and an online option via TEAMS.

Find out more information here: https://dnrec.delaware.gov/events/interest-meeting-2026-hawk-watch/

📷: Larry Drezler

Fishing Report for Friday, August 21, 2026.Not much change in fishing from last week. In the Delaware River and Bay, cat...
08/21/2026

Fishing Report for Friday, August 21, 2026.

Not much change in fishing from last week. In the Delaware River and Bay, catfish and white perch were caught at Augustine Beach and in the tidal creeks and rivers. The Mid-Bay reef sites have produced flounder and trout. The Bowers Beach Jetty was still good for flounder, croaker and spot. Spot and croaker were caught at Broadkill Beach while bigger croaker and some flounder were caught in the Broadkill River. Sheepshead and triggerfish were caught at the Outer Wall and Ice Breakers. The catch at the Cape Henlopen State Park Fishing Pier is still mostly spot and croaker with a few keeper flounder.

Spot, croaker and kings were caught in the surf but anglers must avoid the jellyfish.

The Indian River Inlet is producing sheepshead, triggerfish and small tog from the rocks.

Spot, croaker and flounder were caught at the Old Grounds and dolphin were taken at the Del-Jersey-Land reef in the Inshore Ocean.

The Offshore Ocean produced yellowfin tuna and tilefish from the canyons.

In freshwater, bass were reported from Garrisons Lake and Lums Pond while snakeheads were caught at Garrisons Lake.

A 180-ft. long former menhaden boat was the latest addition to the Del-Jersey-Land reef.

📷: Jinx Steele

Address

89 Kings Highway
Dover, DE
19901

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+13027399910

Website

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