Division of Fish & Wildlife

Photo by Marc Clery

The Delaware Public Ponds Booklet's updating adds vital angling information to what already exists about the 30-odd impoundments that are managed by the Division of Fish & Wildlife and open for fishing to the public throughout the state.

Here you'll learn the gamefish species that inhabit each pond or lak, their average size and age, and where fish are most likely to be caught.

Click on the name of each pond or lake alongside the county where it's located to find out more. For a comprehensive list of locations for all small ponds click here.

Ponds with updated maps are marked with an asterisk (*).

By Cathy Martin, Fisheries biologist

"Delaware’s Public Ponds" booklet was originally published in 1976 to familiarize freshwater anglers with the numerous public ponds available throughout this small state. That intent continues today, through four reissuings of the guide that have featured continuous updating, including this online version (see adjacent links to ponds in each Delaware county). 

Delaware’s public ponds are monitored on a cyclical schedule with about six  sampled each year. The latest samplings are posted in this guide as they become available. This should make the information more timely and of greater use to anglers. Fish-catch data are listed in the fish survey tables. Catches are provided as number of fish by species per hour of electrofishing. Average catch rates for ponds within the county are shown below for comparison. The column on the right lists the most recent year the pond was sampled.

NEW CASTLE COUNTY

• Becks Pond *
• Lums Pond

Maps

One of the most important aspects of the pond booklet has been the contour maps. Most were originally obtained in the 1970s for the first edition of the Public Pond Booklet. Division scientists are currently updating the maps and revised maps will be posted as they become available. Updated maps have now been completed about half of the public ponds (those marked with an asterisk [*]). The original 1975 maps of each pond has been included with this publication for those without an updated map. These original maps, while not providing exact depth measurements, will indicate general contours and open water areas that should be useful to anglers. 

KENT COUNTY

• Andrews Lake *
• Courseys Pond *
• Derby Pond *
• Garrisons Lake
• Killens Pond
• Masseys Mill Pond *
• McColleys Pond
• McGinnis Pond *
• Moores Lake *
• Mud Mill Pond
• Tub Mill Pond 

SUSSEX COUNTY

• Abbotts Pond *
• Blairs Pond
• Chipmans Pond *
• Concord Pond
• Craigs Pond *
• Griffith Lake
• Haven Lake *
• Hearns Pond
• Horseys Pond *
• Ingrams Pond *
• Millsboro Pond *
• Portsville Pond *
• Raccoon Pond
• Records Pond
• Silver Lake
  (Milford) *
• Trap Pond *
• Trussum Pond
• Tussock Pond *
• Wagamons Pond *
• Waples Pond *