Black drum: Florida size, bag and season

As of / last verified: October 14, 2026 against official sources · Source: FWC: Black drum

Black drum limit in Florida: in Gulf and Atlantic state waters the slot is 14 to 24 inches, and one fish over 24 inches may be kept. The bag is 5 per harvester per day, including that larger fish. The season is open year-round. The FWC page does not call the measurement total length or fork length.

Quick answer

Slot: 14–24", with one fish over 24"
Bag: 5 per harvester per day, which can include one over 24"
Season: Open year-round
Waters: Gulf and Atlantic state waters
Gear: Hook and line, cast net, seine, spear or gig

Black drum limits

Waters	Size	Bag	Season
Gulf and Atlantic state waters	14–24", with one fish over 24"	5 per harvester per day (can include one over 24")	Open year-round

Special regulations apply in Biscayne National Park. Multiple hooks with live or dead natural bait, and snatching, are prohibited. The rules page does not add the words total length or fork length to the 14–24 inch slot.

How do you identify Black drum?

A highly arched back, gray or black, fading to a lighter belly. Large scales, and powerful throat teeth used on oysters and other shellfish.
Juveniles have 4 to 6 dark vertical bars that fade with age. Barbels on the lower jaw. Red drum and sheepshead do not have those barbels.
FWC lists them as the largest drum, up to 67 inches, and says they may live 35 years or more.
The state record is 96 lbs, caught near Fernandina Beach.

Look-alikes

Red drum (redfish). Redfish have no chin barbels and usually a spot at the base of the tail. Their slot is 18 to 27 inches.
Sheepshead. Sheepshead have incisor-like teeth and no chin barbels. Young black drum bars can look similar.

Where and when to catch Black drum in Florida?

Black drum are inshore fish in bays, river mouths and lagoons. They stay on the bottom around oyster beds, docks and bridge pilings, and they may also be offshore. Juveniles use estuaries. They spawn nearshore in winter and early spring and eat fish, oysters, mussels, crabs and shrimp. FWC lists cut bait, shrimp, sand fleas or blue crabs, and says the bait needs to stay on the bottom. Docks, piers and bridge pilings are the structure the profile names.

Piers and bridges

Skyway Fishing Pier State Park, St. Petersburg / Tampa Bay
Fort De Soto Park Gulf & Bay Piers, Tierra Verde (Pinellas County)
Venice Fishing Pier, Venice
Naples Pier, Naples (Collier County)
Jacksonville Beach Fishing Pier, Jacksonville Beach (Duval County)
St. Johns County Ocean Pier, St. Augustine Beach (St. Johns County)
Navarre Beach Pier, Navarre Beach (Santa Rosa County)
Russell-Fields City Pier, Panama City Beach (Bay County)
Long Key Viaduct Fishing Bridge, US-1, MM 63–65.5 (Monroe County)
Ohio–Bahia Honda Channel Fishing Bridge, Lower Keys, US-1 (Monroe County)

Regions

Frequently asked questions

What is the black drum size limit?

A slot of 14 to 24 inches, and you may keep one fish over 24 inches. FWC's page does not label that measurement as total length or fork length.

What is the black drum bag limit?

5 per harvester per day. The bag can include the one fish over 24 inches.

Is black drum open year-round?

Yes. FWC lists the season as open year-round in Gulf and Atlantic state waters.

How do you tell a black drum from a redfish?

Black drum have barbels on the lower jaw and no tail spot. Red drum have no chin barbels and usually one or more spots at the base of the tail.

Official sources

FWC: Black drum

Last verified: October 14, 2026.

Related guides

Disclaimer: This page is a plain-English summary for general information. It is not legal advice. Rules, seasons and boundaries can change at short notice, including by emergency order. Always check the current regulations on MyFWC.com before you fish.