The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) and member agencies of the Delaware River Basin Fish and Wildlife Management Cooperative (Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries, collectively Co-op) today announce the implementation of the 2026 Delaware River Creel Survey.
The survey of angler experiences, known as a creel survey, will provide fishery managers with up-to-date information regarding angler use, expectations and satisfaction within the Delaware River Basin.
The Delaware River is the longest, free-flowing river on the Atlantic Coast and is vital for the life history of migratory fishes, including American shad and striped bass, both prized sport fishes. The Delaware River also supports popular fisheries for catfish, largemouth and smallmouth bass, trout and other resident sportfish.
“DRBC is pleased to partner with our member fisheries experts on the 2026 Delaware River Creel Survey to better understand recreational angling perspectives throughout the Basin,” said DRBC Executive Director Kristen Bowman Kavanagh. “We hope to hear from our angler community, learning vital information to help effectively manage the fishery and our shared water resources into the future.”
The survey began March 1, with survey locations spanning from the Delaware Memorial Bridge near Wilmington, Del., upstream to and including the East and West Branches of the Delaware Rivers near Hancock, N.Y. Surveys will also be conducted on the Brandywine River, Schuylkill River and Lehigh River. These interviews will occur randomly to provide an unbiased assessment of the anglers who utilize these resources. Angler participation in this survey is entirely voluntary, with questions focused on anglers’ targeted species, number of fish caught and harvested and overall satisfaction with fishing in the Delaware River Basin. Furthermore, if permitted by an angler, creel survey staff will also collect select biological data from harvested fish.
In fall 2025, DRBC solicited proposals for the project and in collaboration with the Co-op, selected HDR Engineering, Inc. to perform the survey with subcontractors Normandeau Associates, Inc. and Alpha Aviation, Inc. The survey is expected to be completed by July 6, with a report to be issued in 2027.
The DRBC is a federal/interstate government agency created in 1961 by concurrent compact legislation, marking the first time that the federal government and a group of states joined together as equal partners in a river basin planning, development and regulatory agency. The five Commission members are the governors of the Basin states (Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania) and the commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ North Atlantic Division, who represents the federal government.
To learn more about the Commission, please visit www.drbc.gov or follow DRBC on X at @DRBC1961.