Black DrumorRed Drum
Two fish anglers mix up. Here is what separates them, and what each one’s rules are in your state.
How to tell them apart
Black Drum
Chin barbels, high arched back, gray-black bars on juveniles that fade with age.
Black drum, next to red drum: has chin barbels, no tail spot.
Red Drum
Black spot (sometimes several) at the tail base, coppery-bronze back, no chin barbels.
Red drum, next to black drum: no barbels, has the tail spot.
Side by side
| Black Drum | Red Drum | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Pogonias cromis | Sciaenops ocellatus |
| Also called | Drum | Redfish, Puppy drum, Channel bass, Spottail bass |
| Waters | Inshore | Inshore |
| Heaviest state record | 115 lb · Delaware (1978) | 94 lb 2 oz · North Carolina (1984) |
| On the table | Good small; large fish are coarse and often carry harmless parasites. | Very good inside the slot; big over-slot drum are coarse. |
| Rules of its own in | 12 states | 15 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 15 of 15 states with a rule for either. In Delaware, black drum is 16 in min, 3 per day and red drum is 20-27 in slot, 5 per day. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Black Drum: size · bag · season | Red Drum: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 16-26 in total length slot3 per person, slot onlyOpen year-roundOpenAL MRD 2026 · checked |
| Connecticut | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 27" maximum1 per anglerOpen year-roundOpenCT DEEP 2026 · checked |
| Delaware | 16 in min3 per dayOpen year-roundOpenDE DNREC 2026 · checked | 20-27 in slot5 per dayOpen year-roundOpenDE DNREC 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Atlantic) | 14-24 in slot5 per person (one may be over 24 in)Open year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked | 18-27 in slot1 per person; vessel limit 2 (Tampa Bay through Southeast) or 4 (Panhandle, Big Bend, Northeast)Open year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Gulf) | 14-24 in slot5 per person (one may be over 24 in)Open year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked | 18-27 in slot1 per person; vessel limit 2 (Tampa Bay through Southeast) or 4 (Panhandle, Big Bend, Northeast)Open year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked |
| Georgia | 14 in total length15 per person per dayOpen year-roundOpenGA DNR CRD 2026 · checked | slot 15-24 in total length3 per person per dayOpen year-roundOpenGA DNR CRD 2026 · checked |
| Louisiana | slot 16–27 in total length5 per person; only 1 may exceed 27 inOpen year-roundOpenLDWF 2026 · checked | slot 18–27 in total length4 per person; none over 27 inOpen year-roundOpenLDWF 2026 · checked |
| Maryland | 16 in min1 per person; 6 per boatOpen year-roundOpenMD DNR 2026 · checked | 18-26 in TL slot3Open year-roundOpenMD DNR 2026 · checked |
| Mississippi | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenMS DMR 2026 · checked | 18–30 in total length slot3 per person per dayOpen year-roundOpenMS DMR 2026 · checked |
| New Jersey | 16 in min3Open year-roundOpenNJ DEP 2026 · checked | 18 to less than 27 in slot1Open year-roundOpenNJ DEP 2026 · checked |
| New York | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | No minimum; max 27"No limit under 27"Open year-roundOpenNY DEC 2026 · checked |
| North Carolina | 14–25" TL slot10 per person per dayYear-roundOpenNC DMF 2026 · checked | 18–27" TL slot1 per person per dayYear-roundOpenNC DMF 2026 · checked |
| South Carolina | slot 14–27 in total length5/dayOpen year-roundOpenSC DNR 2026 · checked | slot 18–25 in total length1/day, max 2/boatOpen year-roundOpenSC DNR 2026 · checked |
| Texas | slot 14–30 in total length5Open year-roundOpenTPWD 2026 · checked | slot 20–28 in total length3Open year-roundOpenTPWD 2026 · checked |
| Virginia | 16 in min1 per personOpen year-roundOpenVMRC 2026 · checked | 18-26 in slot3 per personOpen year-roundOpenVMRC 2026 · checked |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, black drum or red drum, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell black drum from red drum?
Black Drum: Chin barbels, high arched back, gray-black bars on juveniles that fade with age. Red Drum: Black spot (sometimes several) at the tail base, coppery-bronze back, no chin barbels. Red drum, next to black drum: no barbels, has the tail spot. Black drum, next to red drum: has chin barbels, no tail spot.
Which gets bigger, black drum or red drum?
Black Drum. The heaviest state record we hold is 115 lb in Delaware; the heaviest red drum record is 94 lb 2 oz in North Carolina.
Which is better to eat, black drum or red drum?
Black Drum: Good small; large fish are coarse and often carry harmless parasites. Red Drum: Very good inside the slot; big over-slot drum are coarse.
Do black drum and red drum have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 15 state rulebooks. Delaware: black drum 16 in min, 3 per day, red drum 20-27 in slot, 5 per day; Florida (Atlantic): black drum 14-24 in slot, 5 per person (one may be over 24 in), red drum 18-27 in slot, 1 per person; vessel limit 2 (Tampa Bay through Southeast) or 4 (Panhandle, Big Bend, Northeast); Florida (Gulf): black drum 14-24 in slot, 5 per person (one may be over 24 in), red drum 18-27 in slot, 1 per person; vessel limit 2 (Tampa Bay through Southeast) or 4 (Panhandle, Big Bend, Northeast); Georgia: black drum 14 in total length, 15 per person per day, red drum slot 15-24 in total length, 3 per person per day; Louisiana: black drum slot 16–27 in total length, 5 per person; only 1 may exceed 27 in, red drum slot 18–27 in total length, 4 per person; none over 27 in; and more in the table on this page.