Murderkill River Fishing Guides
The tidal Murderkill at Bowers Beach, a Delaware Bay marsh river with a strong spring striper and white perch run and one of the best crab fisheries in the state.
Guides on the Murderkill River
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About the Murderkill River
The Murderkill River drains central Kent County and reaches the Delaware Bay at Bowers Beach, a small working waterfront village at the river mouth. The gauge at Bowers reads gage height in the tidal reach, which is the useful number here, because the Murderkill is tidal for its entire lower course and flow means much less than stage and tide stage.
The name is a corruption of a Dutch phrase rather than a record of anything grim, and the river itself is a classic Delaware Bay marsh system. Below Frederica it winds through broad salt marsh in tight meanders, with deep outside bends, shallow points and a series of guts and side channels draining the marsh on every ebb. The water is stained and productive, and the bait density through summer is remarkable.
Striped bass move in from the bay in spring and hold through the lower river, with the best fishing on moving water around the bends and at the mouths of the marsh guts. White perch are abundant and are a genuine local fishery, taken through much of the year and especially good in spring. Channel catfish work the deeper holes in the upper tidal reach, and American eel are present throughout. Blue crabs are thick from June through September and are pursued as seriously as the fish.
Bowers Beach has public ramps and a small charter fleet running into the bay, and the river is well suited to small boats and kayaks. Bank access is limited by the marsh, so getting on the water is generally the way to fish it.
Tide is everything on the Murderkill, and the river is shallow enough at low water that a poorly timed run can leave a boat aground on a mud bar well away from the ramp. Work the last of the flood and the first of the ebb, keep to the outside of the bends, and give the marsh guts room as the water drops.
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Access
Bowers Beach - the gauge reach, with public ramp and access at the river mouth.
Frederica - the upper tidal river with road and small craft access.
Delaware Bay - the open bay water immediately outside the river mouth.
South Bowers - the south side of the mouth across the river.
Murderkill marsh guts - the side channels draining the marsh, kayak access.
Big Stone Beach Road - marsh edge access south of the river.
Mispillion River - the neighboring tidal system to the south.
Seasons
Spring: the strongest run, with striped bass and white perch pushing in from the bay.
Summer: crabbing peaks and schoolie stripers hold in the river with catfish upstream.
Fall: a second striper push as bait leaves the marsh, good through November.
Winter: quiet, with white perch the main option in the deeper tidal holes.
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Questions
What species can you catch on the Murderkill River?
Anglers target American Eel, Blue Crab, Channel Catfish, Striped Bass, White Perch on the Murderkill River in Delaware.
Where can you access the Murderkill River?
Bowers Beach - the gauge reach, with public ramp and access at the river mouth. Frederica - the upper tidal river with road and small craft access. Delaware Bay - the open bay water immediately outside the river mouth. South Bowers - the south side of the mouth across the river. Murderkill marsh guts - the side channels draining the marsh, kayak access. Big Stone Beach Road - marsh edge access south of the river. Mispillion River - the neighboring tidal system to the south.
When is the best time to fish the Murderkill River?
Spring: the strongest run, with striped bass and white perch pushing in from the bay. Summer: crabbing peaks and schoolie stripers hold in the river with catfish upstream. Fall: a second striper push as bait leaves the marsh, good through November. Winter: quiet, with white perch the main option in the deeper tidal holes.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Murderkill River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Delaware agency site: https://dnrec.delaware.gov/fish-wildlife/fishing/regulations/