Maryland Department of Natural Resources

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Maryland Fish Facts

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Red Drum
Red Drum

Red Drum
Sciaenops ocellatas
(A.K.A. Redfish, Channel Bass)
Key Distinguishing Markings:
  • General coloration is iridescent silvery-gray overall, with a coppery cast that is usually darker on the back and upper sides.
  • One (or more) black ocellar spots on the upper sides near the base of the tail.
  • Chin without barbells.
  • Inferior horizontal mouth.
  • Body elongate and robust.
  • Dorsal fin continuous but deeply notched, with 10 spines in the anterior portion and with 1 spine and 23-25 soft rays in the posterior portion.​

View the Red Drum Gallery

Red Drum 
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Distribution:
  • Historic distribution of red drum on the Atlantic coast is from the Gulf of Main to northern Mexico.
  • This species has become uncommon north of New Jersey.
  • Red drum are more abundant in the Gulf of Mexico than along the Atlantic coast.​

Size:
  • Maximum adult size is nearly 5 feet (1.5 meters) total length.
  • The largest recorded red drum was 59 inches and 98 pounds.
  • The Maryland state record was caught in 1977 in Tangier sound and weighed 74 pounds 6 ounces. (This record will stand for the foreseeable future, since red drum over 27 inches are not currently legal to keep).​
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Habitat:
  • Adult red drum occur in Chesapeake Bay from May through November and are most abundant near the bay mouth in salinities above 15 parts per thousand.
  • Juveniles are most abundant in estuarine waters and inlets, while fish older than age-5 primarily inhabit coastal and offshore waters, often in large schools.​

Spawning:
  • Males first spawn between ages two and three (21 inches in length), while females mature at ages three to five (36 inches in length).
  • Spawning occurs at night in the summer and fall in nearshore waters.
  • Large females can produce up to several million eggs in a single season.
  • Following their first spawn, red drum spend less time in the estuaries and more time in ocean waters.​

Fishing Tips:
  • The recreational season for catching red drum is open year round.
  • Currently, recreationally caught red drum must be at least 18 inches but no more than 27 inches to keep, and anglers are permitted 1 fish/person/day.
  • Commercially caught red drum must be 18 to 25 inches, with a 5 fish per day limit.
  • For current recreational and commercial size and creel limits, see Maryland's updated regulation page.
  • Surf casters along the 35 miles of Maryland's Atlantic coast catch large red drum in late fall and may occasionally catch smaller legal size fish.​
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Fun Fact:
  • Red drum derive their name from the croaking or drumming sound they produce by resonating their large swim bladder.
  • The oldest recorded red drum was 62 years old.
  • Due to their unusual growth pattern, a 36-inch red drum may be anywhere from 6 to 50 years old.​

Family: Sciaenidae (drums and croakers)
Order: Perciformes (perch-likes)
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)

For more information on red drum and their management, please check the ASMFC website www.ASMFC.org (look for red drum in the Managed Species section) or contact Harry Rickabaugh.​

Illustration by Duane Raver, USFWS​​

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