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Pennsylvania line to Wilmington: Delaware's best moving-water fishery. Stocked trout and smallmouth. The river tops out around 6 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
The drawn water covers 80 acres wrapped in 15.9 miles of bank. With a shoreline index of 12.7, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. Tip to tip the water measures near 6 mi with a 1.5-mi widest point. New Castle County claims this one. If the bite dies, Becks Pond is 14 mi to the southwest.
Early season rainbow trout use the shallows, holding in 2 to 6 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 6 ft; winter keeps them in 1 to 6 ft. The chart's best answer is Lower Hagley Dam tailrace — dam tailrace, 5 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Lower Hagley Dam tailrace (5 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Lower Hagley Dam tailrace (5 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Lower Hagley Dam tailrace (5 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 1 to 6 ft | dawn | Lower Hagley Dam tailrace (5 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 6 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 6 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 6 ft. Start at Tailout eddy (mile 4.4). It's an eddy pocket holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 4.4) (3 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 4.4) (3 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Tailout eddy (mile 4.4) (3 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 4.4) (3 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
When the water first warms, channel catfish slide up into 2 to 6 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 6 ft, winter 2 to 6 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Tailout eddy (mile 4.4): an eddy pocket around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 4.4) (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 4.4) (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 4.4) (3 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 4.4) (3 ft) |
Early season common carp use the shallows, holding in 1 to 6 ft. Even in summer they hold at 1 to 6 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 6 ft. The chart's best answer is Tailout eddy (mile 4.4) — eddy pocket, 3 ft, prime for winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Lower Hagley Dam tailrace (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 1 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Lower Hagley Dam tailrace (5 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Lower Hagley Dam tailrace (5 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 4.4) (3 ft) |
Count 20 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Lower Hagley Dam tailrace, sits near 5 ft.
Access data: Delaware DNREC — Fishing Access. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Delaware waters are set by the Delaware DNREC — and special regulations can apply to Brandywine Creek specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Delaware fishing regulations →
Brandywine Creek is about 6 ft (2 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, common carp on Brandywine Creek.
Lower Hagley Dam tailrace is the top-rated area: a dam tailrace in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For rainbow trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Brandywine Creek is regulated by the Delaware DNREC. Check the official Delaware regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Becks Pond 14 mi · Greenwich Lake 15 mi, NJ · Lums Pond 18 mi · Schuylkill River 21 mi, NJ/DE · Newton Lake 27 mi, NJ · Grenloch Lake 27 mi, NJ · Mary Elmer Lake 28 mi, NJ · Bohemia River 28 mi · Lake Como 34 mi · Garrisons Lake 37 mi · Masseys Mill Pond 38 mi · Shaws Mill Pond 39 mi, NJ
See how Brandywine Creek stacks up: best channel catfish lakes in Delaware · best common carp lakes in Delaware
Browse all Delaware fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.