Pages Tagged With: "fish and wildlife"
The Delaware Sport Fishing Tournament includes awards for catching and releasing eligible species. The Live Release Award is open to both adult and youth anglers.
Sport Fishing Tournament Menu Tournament Home Tournament Rules
The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife sponsors the annual Sport Fishing Tournament to promote recreational fishing in Delaware. The tournament recognizes both young and adult anglers for outstanding catches.
Sport Fishing Tournament Menu Tournament Home
The following rules apply to the annual Delaware Sport Fishing tournament, including the Youth Division.
Sport Fishing Tournament Menu Tournament Home Tournament Rules Tournament History Tournament Youth
There are official Delaware Sport Fishing Tournament weigh stations throughout the state where anglers can have their catch weighed.
Sport Fishing Tournament Menu Tournament Home Tournament Rules Tournament History [dropdown-item
This page lists each current Delaware record fish as well as the anglers who hooked, fought and landed them. Eighteen freshwater species and thirty saltwater species of trophy fish have been recognized as state records in Delaware. These fish are the largest specimens documented to have been caught by rod and reel.
The Council on Recreational Fishing Funding was created in 2007 and serves in an advisory capacity to the Director of Fish and Wildlife. It considers matters relating to funding fishery-related projects as well as fishery-related construction priorities for the expenditure of funds generated from the sale of recreational fishing licenses. [column md=”5″
The Advisory Council on Shell Fisheries was created in 1953 and serves in an advisory capacity to the Director of Fish and Wildlife. It considers matters relating to the control and direction of the shellfish industry and the protection, conservation and propagation of shellfish of this State, and such matters as may be referred to
The Advisory Council on Wildlife and Freshwater Fish was created in 1953 as the Council on Game and Fish. It serves in an advisory capacity to the Director of the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife.
Danielle Patone Recording Secretary 302-739-9912
The Advisory Council on Tidal Finfisheries was created in 1984 to advise the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife and represent both the commercial and recreational interests in the state’s regulation of finfish.
Contact Us
Rebecca Hoover Recording Secretary 302-739-9914
Delaware state law establishes several councils to advise the Director of Fish and Wildlife on matters relating to fisheries, recreational fishing, wildlife and hunting, and shell fisheries. The Division is also part of the Delaware Native Species Commission. Advisory Council on Wildlife and
Patrick J. Emory, Director 89 Kings HighwayDover, DE 19901302-739-9910patrick.emory@delaware.gov
Frequently-Called Phone Numbers Boat Registration: 302-739-9916 Recreational Licenses, Permits, Passes, and Stamps: 302-739-9918 Boater Education: 302-739-9915 Hunter Education: 302-735-3600 (Ext. 1) Nuisance Wildlife: 302-735-3600 Report Fishing Violations: 1-800-523-3336 Operation Game Theft: 1-800-292-3030
Division of Fish & Wildlife is informing interested parties that shellfish grounds are available for lease, located in the Delaware Bay, south of the East Line and North of the Murderkill River.
The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife manages licenses, permits, registrations, stamps and conservation access passes related to fishing, hunting, boating, and the use of state wildlife areas. There are hunter safety and boating safety education requirements that must be met. Manage Your Recreational Licenses on Digital DNREC [column md=”5″ xclass=”col-xs-12 col-lg-5
Hunting and fishing licenses, and conservation access passes (CAP), can be purchased at the following authorized licensing agents. Some agents only sell fishing licenses while others sell only hunting licenses and conservation access passes. Licenses also can be purchased online or at the licensing desk inside DNREC’s Richardson and Robbins Building, at 89 Kings Highway
The following are many of the questions that have come in about fishing licenses in Delaware. If you have a question, and don’t find the answer here, please send us an email at DFWRecLic@delaware.gov.
DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife will not hold a low-number hunting license lottery for the 2020/21 hunting season. Please check back for lottery information about the 2021/22 licensing season. For more information, Delaware residents can contact Danielle Davis, Division of Fish and Wildlife License Program Coordinator, at 302-739-9918, between the
Information on fees for licenses, registrations, permits, and passes from the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife.
Delaware Resident Non-Resident Agent Fee
Delaware state law and Delaware’s fishing and hunting regulations provide several exemptions and exceptions to the state’s fishing and hunting licensing requirements.
The following are exempt from fishing license requirements: Surf Fishing Permits [column md=”6″ xclass=”col-xs-12
The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife offers licenses, permits, stamps, and passes for recreational fishing and hunting, and for the use of Delaware Wildlife Areas.
Contact Us
Trisha Virdin Licensing Coordinator 302-739-9918
DNREC and the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) work together to monitor the presence of chemical toxins in the flesh of finfish and shellfish in Delaware waters. They issue periodic fish consumption advisories to guide anglers on the amount of fish they can safely consume.
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Delaware fish consumption advisories issued February 20, 2018, by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) and the Department of Health and Social Services’ Division of Public Health (DHSS/DPH) show that the concentration of chemical contaminants found in fish caught from Delaware waterways continues to decline, indicating water quality is improving across the
The DNREC Fisheries Section works to enhance and protect Delaware’s fish and aquatic resources in support of recreational and commercial fishing. It provides first-class fishing and boating access to Delaware’s many waterways. And it conducts fisheries research, resource monitoring, and collection of biological information on marine fisheries. Recreational Fishing
The Operation Game Theft Fund was established by the Delaware General Assembly to assist in the apprehension and conviction of game law violators. Rewards of up to $1,000 are available for information leading to the arrest and conviction of violators.
DNREC’s Fish and Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers protect wildlife and fisheries resources, promote boating education and safety, promote hunting and fishing, respond to boating emergencies and are a partner in Delaware’s Homeland Security maritime mission. The Natural Resources Police oversee boating safety education in Delaware and take
The next Delaware Trout Stamp Art Contest will take place during the week of Aug. 18, 2025 when judges will be scheduled to review the artwork. Contest Rules Summary Here are the basics. Please see the 2025 Stamp Art Contest Artist Agreement and Contest Entry Form for a full
The DNREC Freshwater Trout Program is supported by funds derived from the state’s trout stamp program. Anglers fishing for trout have been required to purchase a Delaware Trout Stamp since 1955. Today, fees paid by anglers for trout stamps provide DNREC with an average of $50,000 annually to purchase trout from commercial hatcheries. Stamp revenues
The winning entries for the 2025/2026 edition of the Delaware State Waterfowl Stamp Contest were chosen by a panel of five judges who evaluated and scored the contest entries in person. A painting of a Canada Goose in an agricultural setting, by Richard Clifton of Milford, Delaware, will grace the 2025/2026 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp.
The winning entries for the 2025 edition of the Delaware Trout Stamp Contest were chosen by a panel of five judges who evaluated and scored the contest entries in person. The 2025 Delaware Trout Stamp will feature a painting of a brook trout by Dennis Arp of Edison, Nebraska. Mr. Arp received $250 for Best
The Delaware Waterfowl Stamp Art Contest will take place during the week of August 18, 2025, when judges will be scheduled to review the artwork. Contest Rules Summary Here are the basics. Please see the 2025 Stamp Art Contest Artist Agreement and Contest Entry Form for a full set
Delaware law requires the registration of all motorboats, including those powered by electric motors, if Delaware is its state of principal use. All motorboats launched from tidal access areas administered by the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife must be registered in Delaware or have a valid Tidal Access Boat Ramp Certificate.
The DNREC Mosquito Control Section accepts applications for No-Spray Zones in which mosquito control adulticides will not be applied in the immediate or close vicinity of your residence.
Glasgow Office (New Castle County and northern Kent County, including Dover) Tom Moran,
The DNREC Mosquito Control Section helps to control mosquito populations by improving and managing wetlands in order to increase fish and wildlife populations and restore previously altered wetland habitats to a healthier condition. These wetland systems, when properly functioning, help to create a natural check on mosquito populations. Successful wetland management can help reduce the
There are several mosquito-borne diseases of concern in Delaware: Chikungunya, West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, and Canine Heartworm Disease, and a possible newcomer, Zika, for which the state’s awareness is growing.
You Can Help Learn how you can control mosquitoes in your own
The Mosquito Control Section uses a Spray Zone Notification System to let residents know when and where they plan to apply pesticides to control mosquito populations.
A collection of questions and answers about mosquitoes and mosquito control in Delaware.
Many adult mosquitoes around the home come from mosquito production sites within or near the neighborhood. You can
The Asian Tiger Mosquito is Delaware’s newest and toughest nuisance mosquito. Tiger mosquitoes get their name from their distinct stripe pattern and their aggressive behavior. If you suspect you may have an Asian Tiger Mosquito problem, there are things you can do to get rid of the problem.
DNREC’s Delaware Waterfowl Stamp Program helps raise funds for waterfowl conservation. Hunters and stamp collectors buy stamps and prints. The money raised is used to restore and improve wetland habitat vital for migratory waterfowl. DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife began the program in 1980, in partnership with Delaware Ducks Unlimited. The program has generated
The DuPont Nature Center offers educational programs and events from April through September. They include field excursions, lectures and hands-on activities. The DuPont Nature Center is located at the end of Lighthouse Road, at the mouth of the Mispillion River, on the Delaware Bay. For more information, call 302-422-1329. [eme_calendar full=true
The Division of Fish and Wildlife offers a variety of educational and outreach programs, including programs designed specifically for school groups in grades K through 12. Education Facilities DuPont Nature Center at the Mispillion Harbor Reserve Aquatic Resource Education Center
In addition to Delaware’s many state-owned freshwater fishing ponds, there are nine small ponds, most geared toward bank fishing and most managed by the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife. They are ideal for beginners and youth angling.
Find a Small Pond [dropdown-item
More than 30 Delaware freshwater lakes and ponds are open for fishing and other recreation. These impoundments, most of them managed by the DNREC 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 DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife uses electrofishing to safely sample fish populations in a variety of water bodies. Electrofishing is one of the most efficient sampling methods available to fisheries biologists. It uses an electric current to temporarily stun fish. This lets biologists sample and survey fish populations with minimal disturbance and risk
