Anglers may also park at Durham, at the T-intersection of routes 32 and 611, to access the canal wall.

In addition to this spot, there is a canal parking area beside the Palisades, a few miles down from the route 611/32 split. A large, old factory on the New Jersey side marks the location. Work this spot if the river is low and the first island split is fordable. Cross behind the island, and the pinch points are a long cast toward New Jersey.

EASTON
The heat is on when the shad get to the Pennsylvania river city. Not only is the Delaware’s temperature often conducive to a good bite, but the number of anglers pursuing shad increases exponentially.

These days, the Easton area provides three boat ramps, two of them just above the confluence of the Lehigh River. The third lies farther north on Route 611.

The first launch is on the Pennsylvania side below the city park. To launch, boaters must maneuver down a high-gradient curved ramp with no room for error. There is limited lawn parking at the site.

The Phillipsburg access, just across the river and above the Free Bridge, is easier for trailered boats to maneuver and boasts a large parking lot.

Boaters in this zone are restricted to the Easton rapids downstream of the lower railroad bridge and the Bushkill Creek Rapids above the toll bridge -- unless you are in a jet boat.

Still, there are numerous traditional hotspots for boaters in this area. Try under the middle arches of the Free Bridge, and also from above the first railroad bridge to downstream of the second railroad bridge below the Lehigh River.

Upstream is the PFBC’s Sandts Eddy access on Route 611. This site has a large lot and a good ramp.

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY
With the cleanup of a major ash spill into the Delaware River from the Pennsylvania Power and Light Company’s Martin’s Creek plant, anglers are again fishing the river below Foul Rift.

Boat access in this zone is from the PPL ramp, which allows boaters to travel a good distance downriver. To find the ramp, turn right at the Route 661 split above the village of Martins Creek and follow state Route 1004, which leads to Riverton-Belvidere. Turn at the PPL access sign on T-661, which curves down to the parking area and ramp.

Above Martins Creek, there is an undeveloped PFBC access in Riverton at Doe Hollow. Shore-fishing is available at the site and according to PFBC information, there is an access ramp. But there’s no parking lot, so anglers must park along the roadway.

Above the river turn that sends the Delaware on a tilted northeast course, the Met Ed access is above Portland. This site has a fine ramp and large parking area, providing boaters access to some good shad water.

For the most part, the channel and its pinch points are closer to the Jersey side, so -- unfortunately for potential waders -- this is not a hotspot.

However, boaters often sit above the line of shad moving from the warmer waters around the power plant toward the Delaware Water Gap. When water temperatures in the central Northampton County zone are in the 50s, shad catches are often very good.