St Jones River Fishing Guides
A tidal river through Dover carrying temperature, discharge, stage and salinity on one gauge, the fullest picture of any water in the state.
Guides on the St Jones River
Claimed profiles take booking requests. Unclaimed profiles are built from public records so the river is never empty; the guide can claim or remove one any time.
No guides listed yet
Guide or outfit this water? Create your profile. Listing is free, the commission is 10% or 7% with a premium profile, and premium profiles list first on this water.
About the St Jones River
The St Jones River rises west of Dover, runs through the middle of the city and then east across several miles of tidal marsh before entering Delaware Bay below Bowers Beach. It is a small river by most measures but a genuinely interesting one, because it carries a complete gradient from fresh water above the city to full estuary at the mouth, and it does so over a short enough distance that the whole thing is accessible from one base.
The gauge at Dover is unusually well instrumented, reporting water temperature, discharge, stage and specific conductance together. For estuary water that combination is close to ideal. Specific conductance is effectively a salinity trace, so the record shows directly how far the salt is pushing up the river on a given tide and how hard a wet week has driven it back down toward the bay. Read alongside temperature, it is the best guide available anywhere in the state to where the transition species are likely to be holding on a particular day.
White perch are the backbone of the fishery and are present in numbers through the tidal reach, moving up and down with the season and the salinity. Striped bass work the deeper channel and the bridge structure, with the spring run the highlight of the year and schoolie fish available through much of it. American eel are abundant. Above the tidal influence the water turns to largemouth bass, bluegill and crappie in the slower reaches and impoundments. Downstream toward the marsh, croaker, spot, summer flounder and blue crab appear seasonally. The state wildlife area and the reserve land along the lower river provide real public access, which is not something every tidal river in the region can offer.
This water needs a real photo
The photo at the top of this page is not St Jones River.
It is a regional stand-in, honestly captioned but generic — we will not put a name to a river we cannot prove. Send us a photograph you took here and it replaces the stand-in, with your credit on it.
Add a photo of this water
Landscape, not fish — the water itself. Reviewed by hand before it appears. The first one published here earns the Pioneer badge.
Fished this water? Add a photo
Reviewed by hand before it appears. Pick the water, not the spot — we never publish exact locations.
Access
Dover - the state capital on the river, with full services, tackle, lodging and the gauge reference point.
St Jones Reserve - the research reserve on the lower river, with trails and marsh access.
Bowers Beach - at the mouth on Delaware Bay, with launches, a harbour and bay fishing.
Little Creek Wildlife Area - north of the river mouth, offering marsh and impoundment access.
Delaware Bay - the receiving water east, with flounder, croaker and striped bass in season.
Murderkill River - the next tidal river south, of very similar character and a good alternative.
Milford - south down the coast, with further lodging, tackle and river access.
Seasons
Spring: the best of the year, with the striped bass run and white perch moving through the tidal reach in numbers.
Summer: warm and productive for perch, catfish and crabs, with flounder and croaker in the lower river.
Fall: excellent as temperatures fall and bait moves out, concentrating striped bass and perch in the channel.
Winter: cold and slow, though white perch remain catchable in the deeper holes on settled days.
From the water
No logged trips yet. Be the first to put this water on your map.
Log this water
Fished it or cleaned it? Log in or create a free account to log a trip with photos and earn the waterway badge.
Questions
What is the current flow on the St Jones River?
As of Oct 18, 4:25 pm, the USGS gauge ST JONES RIVER AT DOVER, DE reads 23 cfs, with water temperature 64 F. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the St Jones River?
Anglers target American Eel, American Shad, Atlantic Croaker, Black Crappie, Blue Crab, Bluegill, Carp, Channel Catfish, Hickory Shad, Largemouth Bass, Spot, Striped Bass, Summer Flounder, White Perch on the St Jones River in Delaware.
Where can you access the St Jones River?
Dover - the state capital on the river, with full services, tackle, lodging and the gauge reference point. St Jones Reserve - the research reserve on the lower river, with trails and marsh access. Bowers Beach - at the mouth on Delaware Bay, with launches, a harbour and bay fishing. Little Creek Wildlife Area - north of the river mouth, offering marsh and impoundment access. Delaware Bay - the receiving water east, with flounder, croaker and striped bass in season. Murderkill River - the next tidal river south, of very similar character and a good alternative. Milford - south down the coast, w...
When is the best time to fish the St Jones River?
Spring: the best of the year, with the striped bass run and white perch moving through the tidal reach in numbers. Summer: warm and productive for perch, catfish and crabs, with flounder and croaker in the lower river. Fall: excellent as temperatures fall and bait moves out, concentrating striped bass and perch in the channel. Winter: cold and slow, though white perch remain catchable in the deeper holes on settled days.
Where are the fishing regulations for the St Jones River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Delaware agency site: https://dnrec.delaware.gov/fish-wildlife/fishing/regulations/