Boating, Fishing, and Travel Information for Lewes, DE

Several small-craft facilities are in the vicinity of the first and second bridges at Lewes. Gasoline, diesel fuel, berths, and marine supplies can be obtained, and hull and engine repairs can be made. A 70-foot marine railway and a 25-ton mobile hoist are available.
Navigation:
Click the “Map View” button above to see a chart of this harbor.
Roosevelt Inlet, 3 miles west of Cape Henlopen, is the Delaware Bay entrance to the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal and to Broadkill River. The inlet is protected by jetties that are awash at low water; each jetty is marked by a light on its outer end. The channel is marked by the jetty lights and a 213° lighted range. In Roosevelt Inlet, the current velocity is about 0.9 knot.
The Lewes and Rehoboth Canal is a tidal waterway that extends southeastward and southward for 8 miles from Roosevelt Inlet to Rehoboth Bay.
Lewes, 1.7 miles inside Roosevelt Inlet, is the southern terminal for the Cape May-Lewes ferry.
The U.S. Route 9 Business highway bridge over the canal at Lewes has a bascule span with a clearance of 15 feet. The overhead power cable to the west of the bridge has a clearance of 68 feet. The railroad bridge, 0.2 mile southeastward of the highway bridge, has a 46-foot swing span with a clearance of 10 feet; the span remains in the open position except for infrequent passage of trains; the overhead cable at the bridge has a clearance of 68 feet. The U.S. Route 9 fixed highway bridge 100 yards southeastward of the railroad bridge has a 46-foot span with a clearance of 35 feet.
These bridges restrict the normal water flow in the canal and produce very strong currents. Small craft should proceed with caution in these areas.