The reconstructed Scotton Landing boat ramp facility is ready for spring boaters and anglers./DNREC photo 

New Ramp, Courtesy Dock and Repaved Parking Lot Completed

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has reopened the boat ramp facility at Scotton Landing (also known as Barkers Landing) on the St. Jones River, and located off Trap Shooters Road near Magnolia, following reconstruction that started in November 2023.

The Scotton Landing project features a new boat ramp and courtesy dock, plus a repaved parking lot. Design features of the new ramp include extending the ramp into deeper water to aid boaters launching at low tide, supporting the ramp with timber piles, and protecting the ramp from scouring with steel sheet piles. In addition to the ramp, a new L-shaped courtesy dock was installed to allow easier maneuverability in the river for launching and temporary mooring while boaters retrieve their vehicle.

The $837,400 project was funded by Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Funds via the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, combined with matching state funds from Delaware fishing license sales.

For more information about Scotton Landing or other boating and fishing facilities in Delaware, call the DNREC Fisheries Section at 302-739-9914.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 68,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Joanna Wilson, joanna.wilson@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

Rainbow Trout/Photo: Duane Raver

After Stocking, Tidbury Pond and Newton Pond Will be Closed To All Fishing from Saturday, Feb. 17 through Friday, March 1

Delaware’s 2024 downstate pond trout season will open for youth anglers under age 16 only at 7 a.m. on Saturday, March 2, followed by the opening of the regular pond trout season for all anglers a half-hour before sunrise on Sunday, March 3, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today. Fishing will be allowed on youth opening day from 7 a.m. to a half-hour after sunset and thereafter from a half-hour before sunrise to one half-hour after sunset, unless otherwise restricted by local area rules.

Both Tidbury Pond near Dover in Kent County and Newton Pond near Greenwood in Sussex County will be stocked and open for trout fishing, pending pond ice conditions that might prevent either stocking or fishing.

To improve trout fishing for the season openers, Tidbury Pond and Newton Pond will be closed to all fishing from Saturday, Feb. 17 through Friday, March 1 to accommodate trout stocking, eliminate incidental hooking of freshly-stocked trout and allow the trout to adjust to their new waters.

Each pond will be stocked by the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife with more than 300 pounds of 12- to 13-inch rainbow trout before opening day, with a second stocking to follow in mid-March. Trophy-sized trout weighing two or more pounds will be included in the stocking as an added attraction for trout anglers.

The Division of Fish and Wildlife has also worked to offer a better trout fishing experience at Newton Pond. Two new 120-foot-long aluminum fishing piers have been installed on the east side of the pond to improve shoreline access for trout and other fishing. The piers are parallel to shore and alleviate the need for anglers to traverse steep slopes in gaining access to the water’s edge.

Trout anglers planning to fish Tidbury Pond or Newton Pond should note the following rules and regulations:

• A Delaware fishing license is required, unless an angler is exempt
• A Delaware trout stamp is required through April 1, unless an angler is exempt
• The daily possession limit is six trout

Proceeds from the purchase of Delaware trout stamps are used to help purchase trout for stocking the next year. This popular fishery is also supported by federal Sport Fish Restoration funds administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that are generated from anglers purchasing fishing equipment.

Delaware’s trout season in upstate streams will open Saturday, April 6 with a youth-only day, followed by the opening of the regular trout season for all anglers on Sunday, April 7.

Delaware fishing licenses and trout stamps are sold online and by license agents statewide. To find a participating agent, or to purchase a license or trout stamp online, visit de.gov/fishinglicense. Additional information about fishing in Delaware, including license and trout stamp requirements, is available in the 2024 Delaware Fishing Guide. The guide also is available in printed form from license agents throughout the state.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 68,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

Media Contact: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

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More than 1,000 pounds of 12- and 13-inch rainbow trout were stocked today by DNREC in White Clay Creek for fall angling opportunities. /DNREC illustration by Duane Raver

Trout were stocked in White Clay Creek in northern New Castle County today to provide anglers opportunities to fish for trout in the fall and winter, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced. About 1,000 pounds of 12- to 13-inch rainbow trout were stocked by the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife from near the Pennsylvania state line downstream to Newark.

Trout anglers are reminded of the following rules and regulations:

• A Delaware recreational fishing license is required, unless an angler is exempt (a status which still requires an angler to obtain a Fisherman Identification Network number).
• A Delaware trout stamp is required through Nov. 30 to fish in White Clay Creek, as well as other designated trout streams stocked earlier this year, unless an angler is exempt.
• Trout fishingis open one half-hour before sunrise to one half-hour after sunset, unless otherwise restricted by area rules.
• The daily possession limit is six trout, except for a daily possession limit of four trout when fishingin or within 50 feet of the designated fly-fishing-only section of White Clay Creek.

Managed by the DNREC Fisheries Section, trout are purchased from hatcheries and stocked using revenue from anglers’ purchase of Delaware trout stamps. Trout stocking in Delaware also is supported by federal U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Sport Fish Restoration funds generated by anglers purchasing fishing equipment.

Delaware fishing licenses and trout stamps can be purchased online at de.gov/digitaldnrec, at the license desk in DNREC’s Dover office at 89 Kings Highway, Dover, Del. or from fishing license agents statewide. More information on fishing, fishing licenses and trout stamps in Delaware can be found at de.gov/recfishing.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 68,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Joanna Wilson, Joanna.wilson@delaware.gov

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The Griffith Lake boat ramp and parking lot on Williamsville Road near Milford is to close effective immediately due to construction activities associated with dam safety concerns, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife manages the Griffith Lake boat ramp and parking lot, while construction work at the dam will be coordinated with Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT).

Water flow problems at the Griffith Lake dam initiated the closure. Anglers who fish from a boat or shore from public fishing access areas at Griffith Lake can alternatively use the nearby Blairs Pond boat ramp or Haven Lake boat ramp near Milford.

For more information regarding the boat ramp closure, contact the DNREC Fisheries Section at 302-739-9914.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 68,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram,  Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

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Striped bass caught by recreational anglers in Delaware waters can no longer be handled with a gaff according to a new fishing regulation from DNREC that brings the state into compliance with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission management plan for species’ recovery from overfishing. /DNREC graphic: Duane Raver

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced that the use of a gaff to handle any striped bass caught by recreational anglers is prohibited, effective immediately, to ensure Delaware’s compliance with the Atlantic State Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Amendment 7 to the Atlantic Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP).

The FMP cited the ban on gaff use as one of a suite of required management measures intended to reduce the mortality of recreationally-caught striped bass. Recent ASMFC striped bass population assessments have shown that recreational release mortality is currently the largest source of mortality for the overfished striped bass population. The ASMFC’s gaff ban is seen as aiding the recovery of striper stocks by helping reduce recreational release mortality of fish that could go on to spawn after they were caught and released by anglers.

Delaware’s gaff prohibition regulation can be found on the DNREC regulatory orders webpage. For more information, anglers may call the DNREC Fisheries Section at 739-9914.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 68,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram,  Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

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