Red Drum (Redfish) (also known as Red Drum, Channel Bass, Spottail Bass) in Florida. Minimum legal size, daily bag limit, possession limit, slot rule — verified against the FWC guide, 2026.
In Florida, the minimum legal size for Red Drum (Redfish) is 18 in and the daily bag limit is 1 per person/day (regional vessel limits of 2–4 apply; Indian River Lagoon is catch-and-release only). A slot limit applies: Slot: not less than 18" no more than 27" total length (all regions). Season note: No closed season (harvest is catch-and-release only in the Indian River Lagoon).
Slot: not less than 18" no more than 27" total length (all regions)
No closed season (harvest is catch-and-release only in the Indian River Lagoon).
Managed by named regional zones, not a simple Atlantic/Gulf split. Per-person bag is 1 statewide; the per-region differences are the vessel limit (2 vs 4) and the Indian River Lagoon catch-and-release closure. Legal gear: hook and line, cast nets only (spearing/gigging/snatch-hooking prohibited). Transport limit 4 fish/person. State-water values (shore to 3 nm Atlantic, shore to 9 nm Gulf). Red drum harvest is PROHIBITED in federal waters — no federal recreational harvest.
These limits are pulled from the FWC recreational saltwater size and bag limits. Last verified June 2026.
Always check the official guide before keeping any fish. Regulations change. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) updates its guide annually and occasionally mid-year. Fines for over-bag or undersized fish are significant.
Florida requires a recreational saltwater fishing licence to take saltwater species (residents can get a no-cost Resident Saltwater Shoreline licence for shore fishing). A snook or tarpon permit is needed for those species. Florida saltwater licences.
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