Red Drum

Life History

Photo credit: Aaron Game

The historic distribution of red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) on the Atlantic coast is from Massachusetts through Florida, though few fish have been reported north of the Chesapeake Bay in recent years. Juveniles are most abundant in estuarine waters and inlets, while fish older than age four inhabit deeper waters. The adult fish migrate seasonally, moving offshore or south in the winter and inshore or north in the spring. Spawning occurs at night in the nearshore waters during the summer and fall. Prolific spawners, large females may produce up to two million eggs in a season. Eggs hatch within 24 to 36 hours of being spawned, and the larvae are carried by wind and tidal action into shallow, low salinity estuarine nursery areas. Juveniles and sub-adults stay in estuarine areas feeding on zooplankton and invertebrates such as small crabs and shrimp. Gradually, red drum expand their diet to include fish and larger invertebrates. Depending on the area, males mature between age one and four (20-28 inches in length), while females mature between age three and six (31-36 inches in length). Red drum may reach 60 years of age and 60 inches in length (corresponding to greater than 90 pounds in weight).

Commercial & Recreational Fisheries

Red drum are one of the most recreationally sought-after fish throughout the South Atlantic, with the majority of Southern states reserving red drum harvest strictly for recreational anglers. Red drum are divided into two management areas or stocks along the Atlantic coast, a northern stock (from New Jersey to North Carolina) and a southern stock (from South Carolina to Florida). The stock units are based on differences in life history traits between the two stocks (such as growth rates and maximum observed ages) and information from genetic and tagging studies indicating red drum rarely move between the two regions.

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.

Northern Region (NJ-NC)

Red drum landings in the northern region totaled 1.9 million pounds in 2023, a decrease of approximately 24% from the previous year. Commercial landings totaled 203,512 pounds or 10% of the combined commercial and recreational harvest in the northern region, with 91% of commercial landings coming from North Carolina. This is a 6% increase in commercial landings from 2022.

Recreational landings in 2023 were estimated to be 1.8 million pounds in the northern region, a decrease from the previous year’s estimates of recreational harvest at 2.6 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 2023 were estimated to be 3.0 million pounds in the southern region, a 7% decline from 2022. Florida, followed by Georgia, had the majority of recreational landings in 2023. The number of fish harvested in the recreational fishery in 2023 was 1.0 million fish, which was a slight decline from 2022 (1.2 million fish). The number of fish released in the southern region was 8.5 million fish, which was an increase from 2022 when 7.3 million fish were released.

Stock Status

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.

The Sciaenids Management Board accepted the benchmark stock assessment and peer review reports for management use and tasked the Red Drum Technical Committee with additional analyses to evaluate possible paths forward for red drum management.

Atlantic Coastal Management

Red drum are managed by the Commission through 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.