Port Mahon

Port Mahon is located approximately eight miles east of Dover, Delaware, and three miles east of Little Creek, Delaware, on State Route 89 (Port Mahon road).  It is an unincorporated community in Kent County.  Located at the mouth of the Mahon River, Port Mahon is a great place to enjoy wildlife, launch boats or kayaks, and fish from the pier. Over 340 acres include beaches, salt marshes and tidal creeks. There is an observation platform that allows bird enthusiasts a great view of the surrounding area. Red Knots, shorebirds, ducks, geese, osprey, eagles and other waterfowl can be observed.   There is the remains of an old fish factory along the shoreline.  This is also an area where horseshoe crabs are harvested yearly by commercial anglers.  Despite the name the beach is all but nonexistent, and is instead lined with a wall of large rocks  and rip rap like a jetty to protect the shoreline.  Just about every year the road in has to be  repaired from storm surge damage.  Be careful traveling Port Mahon road after a heavy storm, it may be washed out.  There is ample parking along the road and a parking lot for the boat ramp.

Port Mahon was an important stop for shipping after the C&D canal was built.   It became such a busy area the lighthouse was needed due to the  treacherous Joe Flogger shoals located immediately offshore.  The area was once lined with fishing shacks and oyster shucking houses.  The remnants of these structures makes for some great photography subjects.

There is a state maintained boat ramp at Port Mahon on the river side and the fishing pier is located along the beach area.  It is quite the hike over some rocks before a set of steps and even at high tide you are nearly ten feet off the water.  You will need a pier net.  You can fish all day and night, but it is not recommended to be there after dark.  The “activity” in the area after dark tends to warrant the attention of the police.

Fishing here is like all the Delaware Bay beaches.  There are more brackish fish species since the marshes and tidal rivers are so close. Lots of dogfish, cownose ray, and skate action. Channel catfish are even caught on occasion closer to the guts, marsh edges and the pier.  Croaker, trout or weakfish, flounder, spot, striped bass, bluefish, puppy drum and even the large black drum can be caught from Port Mahon’s fishing pier. Top and bottom rigs are your best bet with squid, clam, or cut baits. Bloodworms are a favorite of schooling striped bass. The artificial baits work well too, Fishbites formulas bloodworms being the most popular. Gulp works well for flounder on flounder rigs or jigged on bucktails.   You can also fish near the boat ramp, there is some structure along the banks where one of the old factories was located.