Red Drum

Red drum are managed under Amendment 2 to the Interstate FMP and Addendum I. The Amendment requires states to implement recreational creel and size limits to achieve the fishing mortality target, including a maximum size limit of 27 inches, and maintain existing commercial regulations. A harvest moratorium and Presidential Executive Order, enacted in 2007, prevents any harvest or sale of red drum from federal waters.

Addendum I (2013) seeks to increase our knowledge base and aid in the protection of important red drum habitat. It updates Amendment 2’s habitat section to include current information on red drum spawning habitat and habitat by life stage (egg, larval, juvenile, sub-adult, and adult). It also identifies and describes the distribution of key habitats and habitats of concern, including threats, habitat bottlenecks (habitat or habitat characteristics that limit the sustainability or recovery of red drum), and ecosystem considerations.

In March 2017, a report on Sciaenid Fish Habitat was released including information on habitat for several species, including red drum, during all stages of their lives, their associated Essential Fish Habitats and Habitat Areas of Particular Concern, threats and uncertainties to their habitats, and recommendations for habitat management and research. This report is meant to be a resource when amending FMPs in the future for these species.

In May 2025, the Board initiated Draft Addendum II to Amendment 2, in response to the 2024 Red Drum Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Report. The draft addendum was approved by the Sciaenids Management Board for public comment in August 2025. The public comment period and hearings will occur in September 2025, and the draft addendum will be considered for final action in October 2025. More information on the draft addendum can be found on its Action Tracker page.

The 2024 Red Drum Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Report indicates the northern stock of red drum (New Jersey through North Carolina) is not overfished and not experiencing overfishing, while the southern stock (South Carolina through the east coast of Florida) is overfished and experiencing overfishing. The two stocks were assessed separately, using different methods.

The southern stock was assessed using the Stock Synthesis (SS) assessment model. Stock status is based on the latest three-year (2019-2021 September-August fishing years) averages of population measures. The three-year average spawning potential ratio (SPR) is less than the 30% SPR threshold, indicating the stock is experiencing overfishing. Spawning potential ratio is a measure of spawning biomass expected under current fishing mortality levels compared to spawning stock biomass expected if no fishing mortality were occurring. The three-year average female spawning stock biomass (SSB) was 8,737 metric tons (19.27 million pounds), less than the SSB threshold of 9,917 metric tons (21.87 million pounds), indicating the stock is overfished. 

A robust, technically-sound SS model could not be developed for the northern stock, so the stock was assessed using a traffic light analysis (TLA). The TLA assigns a color (red, yellow or green) to categorize relative levels of metrics that reflect the condition of red drum adult abundance and fishery performance (i.e., fishing mortality). Although these metrics were not red in the last three years of the assessment, indicating the stock was not overfished nor experiencing overfishing, consistent yellow fishery performance metrics indicated increasing fishing mortality in recent years. Continued monitoring of the northern stock and the increasing trend in fishing mortality is recommended in future years through updates to the TLA.

Red drum landings from New Jersey through the east coast of Florida in 2023 are estimated at 5.0 million pounds. In 2023, 61% of the total landings came from the southern region where the fishery is exclusively recreational, and 39% from the northern region. Since 2019, the northern region averaged 43% of the total harvest and the southern region averaged 57% of the total harvest. This is a significant change from the historic regional landings split (1981-2019), which averaged 76% from the southern region and 24% from the northern region.

Red drum landings from New Jersey through the east coast of Florida in 2024 are estimated at 8.1 million pounds. In 2024, 65% of the total landings came from the southern region where the fishery is exclusively recreational, and 35% from the northern region.

Northern Region (NJ-NC)

Red drum landings in the northern region totaled 2.8 million pounds in 2024, a decrease of approximately 44% from the previous year. Commercial landings totaled 237,034 pounds or 8% of the combined commercial and recreational harvest in the northern region, with 78% of commercial landings coming from North Carolina. Virginia commercial landings in 2024 increased to the highest value in the state’s time series since 1965.

Recreational landings in 2024 were estimated to be 2.6 million pounds in the northern region, an increase from the previous year’s estimates of recreational harvest at 1.8 million pounds. North Carolina and Virginia make up a large portion of northern recreational landings

Southern Region (SC–FL)

The southern region had no commercial landings; Florida commercial harvest has been prohibited since January 1988. South Carolina and Georgia designated red drum as a gamefish, banning commercial harvest and sale since 1987 and 2013, respectively.

Recreational landings in 2024 were estimated to be 5.3 million pounds in the southern region, a 75% increase from 2023. Florida, followed by Georgia and South Carolina, had the majority of recreational landings in 2024. The number of fish harvested in the recreational fishery in 2024 was 1.7 million fish, which was a 64% increase from 2024. The number of fish released in the southern region was 11.0 million fish, which was an increase from 2023 when 8.5 million fish were released.