Blue marlin fishing out of Lewes happens offshore, on canyon trips. The bay is not where the fish are. This guide to Lewes, Delaware covers when the marlin show up, where boats run, what you pass on the way out, how the fish are worked, and who fishes for them. It should help you decide where and when to look, but it can’t promise a fish.
When blue marlin are off Lewes
Summer is the season, according to Bottom Line Sportfishing, the local charter that lists blue marlin. Plan your trips for that window.
Fisherman’s Wharf says blue marlin follow running tuna. When tuna are running, that is the time to start looking for marlin behind them.
Where Lewes boats run for blue marlin
Lewes boats reach blue marlin on canyon trips in the ocean. According to Fisherman’s Wharf trolling charters, blue marlin are "not super common in the Delaware Bay, but can be readily found in the ocean."
The run starts at Roosevelt Inlet and takes you past Cape Henlopen and the breakwaters. For inlet navigation detail, read the Coast Pilot inlet chapter. For the wider canyon and tuna picture beyond this port, see blue marlin across the Atlantic Northeast (see also the wider Atlantic Northeast guide).
Grounds and structure near Lewes
The structure below is what you pass leaving Lewes. It gives route and departure context and is not marlin water. Wreck positions show on Chart Contours; chart layers are not for navigation.
The breakwater walls
The Outer Wall is the Delaware Breakwater, also called the Harbor of Refuge, a rock jetty outside Roosevelt Inlet. The Inner Wall sits closer in.
Ice Breakers, Old Grounds and Fenwick Shoal
Locals call the Ice Breakers the "Haystacks." The Old Grounds are another named spot on the way out. Fenwick Shoal also holds bluefish, Spanish mackerel and triggerfish.
Wrecks off Cape Henlopen
Three wrecks serve as reference points on the way out:
- Gypsum Prince: 357-ft steel barge in 48 ft of water, inshore of Cape Henlopen, sunk in 1942.
- Star Dust: 90-ft fishing vessel, 104 ft least depth, northeast of the breakwaters.
- Mars-54: 79-ft crane barge, east-northeast of Cape Henlopen, sank in 1979.
How blue marlin are fished from Lewes
Trolling is the local method, and the tuna cue shapes how it is used.
Trolling
Boats troll where the tuna are running. For spreads, tackle and biology, see our blue marlin fishing guide.
Who fishes for them
Two Lewes operators list blue marlin:
- Bottom Line Sportfishing in Lewes: Captain Jon Fazekas. The boat carries 6 anglers on twin Cummins 485 hp engines.
- Fisherman’s Wharf: cites a local blue marlin record of 860 lb. That is the operator’s own claim, with no angler or year given.
FAQ: blue marlin fishing out of Lewes
Are blue marlin found in Delaware Bay?
Rarely. Fisherman’s Wharf says they are uncommon in the bay and found in the ocean. Lewes boats run offshore on canyon trips to reach them.
When is blue marlin season out of Lewes?
Summer, according to Bottom Line Sportfishing. Fisherman’s Wharf says marlin follow running tuna, so a tuna run is the cue to start looking.
How are blue marlin fished out of Lewes?
By trolling. Fisherman’s Wharf lists it for its marlin trips, and the fish are worked offshore, keyed to running tuna.
What is the local blue marlin record?
Fisherman’s Wharf cites 860 lb. That is the operator’s own claim. No angler or year is given.
Where can I read about other billfish?
See our billfish fishing guides for the rest of the billfish picture.
