More than 30 Delaware freshwater lakes and ponds are open for fishing and other recreation. These impoundments, most of them managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife, range in size from five to 189 acres. They support a variety of gamefish.
Find full information about each of these ponds using the Delaware Ponds mapping application. It shows detailed maps of each water body, including bathymetric data such as depth, flow, areas with prominent vegetation and surface area to help anglers plan their fishing outings. There are lists of fish species and their size distribution, information on the types of aquatic vegetation in each pond, and shoreline and boating access information.
The Division of Fish and Wildlife also manages nine small ponds throughout the state for youth angling. These small ponds (ranging in size from a quarter acre to ten acres) are stocked with catchable size gamefish and have ample shoreline access. These ponds are “Catch and Release Only.” Barbless hooks are required.
Information about the fish in each pond is collected using Electrofishing. An electrical unit that emits a low voltage electrical current is used to temporarily stun fish so that they can be measured and weighed before being released. Data from the Fish Community Survey (the number of fish caught per electrofishing hour) is published on the Delaware Open Data Portal.
Explore Fish Community Survey data back to 2012.
Related Topics: dfw, fish and wildlife, fishing, freshwater, outdoors and recreation, wildlife