UPDATED: Changes for DE Surf Fishing Beach Reservation System on Summer Weekends
UPDATED – 07/07/25 – Some changes to DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation’s 2025 surf fishing reservation system. Reservations will no longer be needed to surf fish at several drive-on, multi-use beaches on weekends and holidays – beginning this coming Saturday, July 12th. This includes – Key Box, Conquest and Faithful Steward beaches at Delaware Seashore State Park. Also at York, Middle and South beaches at Fenwick Island State Park and Beach Plum Island north of Lewes. DNREC officials say the beaches have generally not been filled to capacity so far on summer weekends.
However reservations will STILL be needed for Gordons Pond, Herring Point, Navy Crossing and Point Crossing in Cape Henlopen State Park and at 3-R’s at Delaware Seashore State Park from 8am to 4pm on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Additional information from DNREC:
“These are your beaches, Delaware,” said Governor Matt Meyer. “We are eliminating the need for reservations most of the time, preserving them only for fairness during the busiest days and hours. Delaware beaches are the precious jewel of our state’s tourism economy, and requiring beach reservations, where unnecessary, is an example of over-regulation that can be streamlined to serve residents better.”
For the rest of the summer, DNREC will evaluate impacts to the beaches while measuring occupancy levels and any queuing or crowding issues as anglers surf fish at them without needing to make reservations, said Matt Ritter, director of the Division of Parks and Recreation.
Due to the high demand and capacity issues, daily reservations will continue to be required for Gordons Pond, Herring Point, Navy Crossing and Point Crossing in Cape Henlopen State Park and 3 R’s at Delaware Seashore State Park from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Anglers with a reservation for a weekend or holiday can still access those drive-on surf fishing locations even when the park’s day use parking capacity has been reached, especially at Cape Henlopen where this is a frequent occurrence.
“Drive-on surf fishing reached record levels in recent years, and our parks have tried different ways to balance what can be overwhelming demand with the recreational experience so many enjoy,” Ritter said. “Reservations have become prevalent at state and national parks across the country, and as we evolve our reservation program in Delaware State Parks, we remain committed to providing a good experience for anglers and all our visitors. After careful consideration, we felt making the change to drop reservation requirements for several surf fishing beaches was the right decision.”
On the remaining beaches where reservations are still required on summer weekends and holidays, State Park staff will monitor surf and weather conditions and adjust the number of reservations available as the weekend approaches if it appears significant numbers of reserved spots may go unused.
“As surf tag holders have gotten used to the reservation system, we know from customer feedback that many people like the predictability of knowing they will have a spot and won’t be turned away or have to wait in a long line for someone to leave,” DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson said. “At the same time, DNREC has certainly heard that some anglers, especially locals, like to wake up on a sunny day and decide to get out on the beach. With this change, we will provide different approaches for different types of visitors.”
Reservations will open as normal weekly for those beaches on Tuesday, July 8 at 11 a.m. for fishing July 12 and on Wednesday, July 9 at 11 a.m. for fishing Sunday, July 13. Reservations are available to valid 1-year and 2-year Surf Fishing Permit holders on a first-come, first-served basis, and are limited to one reservation per day. There are no changes to the off-peak surf fishing permit that allows anglers to access the beach without a reservation Monday through Friday, except for holidays that occur on a weekday.
DNREC Parks and Recreation Director Ritter said the changes are the result of evaluating the program over the past two years including capacity, total reservations, beach conditions and feedback from anglers. Since the reservation system was introduced in 2023 to improve visitor experiences and enhance conservation, none of the beaches where reservations are temporarily being suspended had reached full capacity, with the exception of the 2025 Fourth of July holiday this past weekend. DNREC will consider whether a one-time reinstatement of reservations will be needed for the Fourth in 2026.
Delaware Natural Resources Police Park Rangers Unit will continue to patrol the beaches with vehicle checks to ensure that visitors have valid fishing permits, equipment and reservations if applicable. For more information about surf fishing Delaware’s drive-on beaches visit www.destateparks.com/surf-fishing/.
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ORIGINAL STORY – 05/16/25 – DNREC reminds anglers who want to surf fish – reservations are required during summer weekends and holidays – beginning on Saturday May 24th. Reservations can be made beginning on Tuesday, May 20th – this is for anglers holding annual and two-year surf fishing permits to drive onto Delaware State Parks beaches from 8am to 4pm through Labor Day. Reservations are not required Monday through Friday – except for holidays that fall on a weekday.
Additional information from DNREC:
The DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation also announced that drive-on surf fishing beach reservations will open on the Tuesday preceding a summer Saturday, and on the Wednesday before a summer Sunday. A non-refundable $4 reservation fee is charged per vehicle for each day a surf fishing spot is reserved. Reservations are made online on a first-come, first-served basis and are available for each beach until sold out for the weekend.
Reservations are not required Monday through Friday, except for holidays that fall on a weekday. Surf fishing reservations for holidays are available on the Thursday prior to a particular holiday, including Memorial Day (May 26), Juneteenth (June 19), Independence Day (July 4), and Labor Day (Sept. 1). Off-peak surf fishing permits cannot be used for making reservations because permit holders are limited to surf fishing during non-peak times.
Based on angler feedback, the Division of Parks and Recreation has upgraded the reservation system for retaining vehicle information collected from a valid surf fishing permit. License plate number, state of issue, vehicle make and model will be automatically affixed to reservation order details when a surf fishing permit number is entered. With the upgrade, Delaware State Parks’ customers also have the ability to place multiple reservations for separate surf fishing permits under a single account.
Surf fishing reservations may be made for the seven drive-on beaches at destateparks.com/surf-fishing or by phone at 800-499-8221 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesdays through Fridays, and from 8 a.m. to noon on weekends and holidays.
DNREC also reminds surf fishing permit holders that a reservation confirmation must be printed out and displayed in the registered vehicle for Delaware Natural Resources Police verification. The Division of Parks and Recreation also reminds annual and two-year surf fishing permit holders who have made reservations for a weekend or holiday angling spot that they are allowed access into a Delaware state park for surf fishing even when the park’s day use parking capacity has been reached.
The Division of Parks and Recreation encourages surf fishing permit holders who reserve a spot on Delaware State Parks beaches to cancel if they are unable or decide not to use their reservation, so that their surf fishing spot opens up and offers an opportunity another angler can use.