surf fishing

State’s pilot surf fishing reservation system starts May 16

Betsy PriceCulture, Headlines

surf fishing

Delaware will open its new reservation system for surf fishing on weekends and holidays.

A new surf fishing reservation system for Delaware’s drive-on, multi use beaches is set to launch next week.

The system will be required for fishing from the beach during summer weekends and holidays, which are the peak times.

It’s necessary because after years of complaints about the limited number of tags as well as charges that out-of-state residents were taking spots that should go to Delawareans, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control decided to remove the sales limit.

In exchange, it instituted a reservation system that starts May 16 for Saturday, May 20 and then Wednesday, May 17, for reservations on Sunday, May 21.

Reservations for each weekend will open weekly beginning Tuesdays for the upcoming Saturday and Wednesdays for the upcoming Sunday and will be available until sold out for that weekend.

Those who hold annual and two-year surf fishing permits will be required to reserve time slots for weekends and holidays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., starting Saturday, May 20, through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 4.

That is a total of 36 days in 2023.

Surf fishing slots

Reservations are not required Monday through Friday, except for holidays. Reservations for holidays will become available the Thursday prior.

Off-peak surf fishing permits do not qualify for reservations because they are for use during only non-peak times.

Reservations may be made at www.destateparks.com/surftagsales and will be first come, first served.

The website also includes frequently asked questions and other drive-on surf fishing resources.

RELATED STORY: No cap on next year’s surf fishing tags

Annual and two-year surf fishing permit holders may access the beach without a reservation on peak weekends and holidays after 4 p.m. but must be off the beach by 8 a.m. the next morning.

Reservations can be made via desktop and mobile 24 hours a day once the weekly reservation window opens or via 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.

Reservations cannot be made in person at state parks or at the DNREC Central Office in Dover.

Reservation confirmations must be printed and displayed in the registered vehicle for enforcement verification.

Annual and two-year surf fishing permit holders with reservations will be allowed into the park for surf fishing, even if a park gate is closed, when parking capacity has been reached.

Other details:

  • A fee of $4 per reservation will be charged to reserve drive-on access. This fee is non-refundable.
  • One reservation will be allowed per annual and two-year surf permit holder per day. Reservations are nonrefundable and nontransferable. Those with more than one surf fishing permit who would like to use multiple vehicles on the same day will require the driver of the vehicles to make a reservation under their customer account.
  • Reservations may be made for any of the drive-on multi-use beaches in Delaware State Parks.
  • Once a reservation is made, it cannot be changed. If the person who made the reservation wishes to drive onto the beach at a different location from where they reserved, they must cancel and make another reservation for the correct beach based upon availability.

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