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Red Drum (Redfish)

Red Drum Management Regions and Regulations

Red Drum Map
Panhandle Region Expand/Collapse Panhandle Region
Panhandle Redfish Management Region

The western boundary is located at the Florida-Alabama border and the region extends east near Alligator Point. Does not include all waters of the Ochlockonee Bay, the Ochlockonee River and its tributaries.

Season: Open year-round

Slot Limit: Not less than 18" no more than 27" total length

Daily Bag Limit: 1 fish per person per day; 4 fish vessel limit"

Big Bend Redfish Management Region

The western boundary is located near Alligator Point. Includes all waters of the Ochlockonee Bay, the Ochlockonee River and its tributaries. The region extends east and south to the Fred Howard Park, near the border of Pasco and Pinellas counties. This region includes all waters of the Anclote River and its tributaries.

Season: Open year-round

Slot Limit: Not less than 18" no more than 27" total length

Daily Bag Limit: 1 fish per person per day; 4 fish vessel limit

Tampa Bay Redfish Management Region

The northern boundary is located at Fred Howard Park, near the border of Pasco and Pinellas counties and extends south to State Road 64 in Manatee County. Includes all waters of the Braden River and Manatee River, and its tributaries. Does not include the Anclote River and its tributaries.

Season: Open year-round

Slot Limit: Not less than 18" no more than 27" total length

Daily Bag Limit: 1 fish per person; 2 fish vessel limit

Sarasota Bay Redfish Management Region copy

The northern boundary is located at State Road 64 in Manatee County and the region extends south near the Venice Municipal Airport. Includes Palma Sola Bay.

Season: Open year-round

Slot Limit: Not less than 18" no more than 27" total length

Daily Bag Limit: 1 fish per person; 2 fish vessel limit

Charlotte Harbor Redfish Management Region

The northern boundary is located near the Venice Municipal Airport, and extends south to near Vanderbilt Beach Road in Collier County.

 

Season: Open year-round

Slot Limit: Not less than 18" and no more than 27" total length

Daily Bag Limit: 1 fish per person, 2 fish vessel limit

Southwest Redfish Management Region

The northern boundary is located near Vanderbilt Beach rd, in Collier County, and extends around the Florida Keys to the Monroe/Miami-Dade County line.

Season: Open year-round

Slot Limit: Not less than 18" no more than 27" total length

Daily Bag Limit: 1 fish per person per day; 2 fish per vessel limit

Southeast Redfish Management Region copy

The northern boundary is located at the Martin-Palm Beach county border and the region extends south to the Miami-Dade/Monroe County line. This region includes the Loxahatchee River and its tributaries.​

Season: Open year-round

Slot Limit: Not less than 18" no more than 27" total length

Daily Bag Limit: 1 fish per person per day; 2 fish vessel limit

Special Regulations apply for this species when fishing in Biscayne National Park.

Indian River Lagoon Redfish Management Region

The northern boundary is located at Lytle Avenue/South Causeway in New Smyrna Beach and extends south to Martin-Palm Beach County line. Does not include the Loxahatchee River or its tributaries.

Catch-and-Release only.

Northeast Redfish Management Region

The northern boundary is located at the Florida-Georgia border and extends south to Lytle Avenue/South Causeway in New Smyrna Beach.

Season: Open year-round

Slot Limit: Not less than 18" no more than 27" total length

Daily Bag Limit: 1 fish per person per day; 4 fish per vessel limit

Other Regulations

Red Drum

Bag limits apply in areas adjacent to fishing sites such as docks and parking lots

4 fish per person transport limit applies when traveling in a vehicle on land away from a fishing site.

Must remain in whole condition until landed ashore

Captain and Crew bag limit prohibited while on a for-hire trip

Commercial harvest prohibited

Gear requirements:

  • Legal Gear: hook and line, cast nets
  • Illegal Gear: Spearing (includes spearfishing, gigging and bowfishing, and snatch hooking) and/or use of multiple hooks in conjunction with live or dead natural bait is prohibited

Red Drum Management

Management of red drum in Florida is considered a success story. In the late 1980s red drum was overfished, thus several emergency closures were established to reduce fishing pressure and allow the stock to rebuild. In 1989, the slot limit of 18-27 inches, the bag limit of one fish per person and a closed season from March-May were put in place. Red drum stocks have rebounded and are currently exceeding the FWC's management goal of 40% escapement in most parts of Florida. Escapement is the proportion of fish that survive through age four relative to the fish that would have survived if there was no fishery. In 2022, FWC adopted a more holistic management approach for redfish focused on smaller management regions, in which management decisions are informed by 6 management metrics: escapement, relative abundance, habitat, harmful algal blooms, fishing effort, and stakeholder feedback. Each year, FWC will evaluate the redfish fishery in each region using this metrics, and the results are summarized in Annual Reviews (see links below).

Information

Annual Reviews