Spotted Drum
Equetus punctatus
How to tell it
Black-and-white barred drum whose rear dorsal and tail fins are black with white spots on adults.
Often mistaken for
One fish that gets called spotted drum, and what gives it away.
- Jackknife-fish: No spots on the fins. Tell them apart
Rules for
Every state
| State | Size | Bag | Season | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida (Atlantic) | No size limit | 5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregate | Year-roundFWC 2026 · likely · checked | Open |
| Florida (Gulf) | No size limit | 5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregate | Year-roundFWC 2026 · likely · checked | Open |
Not specifically regulated in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia: each state’s rule for unlisted species applies there (on its page).
On the table
Not a food fish.
In the app
Point the camera at a spotted drum and the name appears before you take the picture, with these rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed, and every catch goes in the log.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask about spotted drum
How many spotted drum can you keep?
Florida (Atlantic): 5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregate; Florida (Gulf): 5 per species within 20-organism marine life aggregate.
How do you tell spotted drum from jackknife-fish?
Spotted Drum: Black-and-white barred drum whose rear dorsal and tail fins are black with white spots on adults. Jackknife-fish: no spots on the fins.