Redfish
Sciaenops ocellatus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Red drum
- active
- inshore tier
- flats zone
- Sciaenidae
Redfish hold in 50–90°F water (optimum 75°F) and 0–36 PSU salinity. Opportunistic feeder: Diurnal-leaning opportunistic predator. Tailing in shallow flats at low tide, cruising oyster bars and grass edges; ambush/visual when water clarity allows. Seasonal migrant: Fall spawning aggregations near passes (Aug–Nov); year-round in bays and flats with localized movements driven by tide and prey rather than seasonal range shifts. Spawns Aug–Nov (fall-spawning-aggregations).
Migration calendar
3 phases · October marked- January · Winter · 0.40
- February · Winter · 0.40
- March · Winter · 0.40
- April · Summer resident · 0.60
- May · Summer resident · 0.60
- June · Summer resident · 0.60
- July · Summer resident · 0.60
- August · Spawning · Wk 4 · 1.00
- September · Spawning · Wk 4 · 1.00
- October · Spawning · Wk 4 · 1.00
- November · Spawning · Wk 4 · 1.00
- December · Winter · 0.40
- Summer resident0.60
- Spawning · Wk 41.00
- Winter0.40
Current phase · live · Lanark
Spawning · Wk 4prime · 1.00
Bull reds stage at passes for fall spawn; recreational big-fish window.
Tight schools >100 fish near passes; predictable around new/full moons.
Months Aug–Nov
Prey · what they eat
3 items · season vs October- 1
blue crabs · crabs
primary · crustacean · Callinectes sapidus
In seasonDiet share45%(30–60%)- Bait equivalents
- cut crab, soft-shell crab piece
- Season
- Peak May–Oct
- Vulnerable when
- Moderate on any tide in calm-to-moderate surf
Dominant adult diet item in inshore systems — Boswell et al. 2010
- 2
shrimp
secondary · crustacean
In seasonDiet share22%(15–30%)- Bait equivalents
- live shrimp, fresh dead shrimp, shrimp tip, gulp shrimp
- Season
- Peak Apr–Oct
- Vulnerable when
- High on rising / high slack tide
Heavy in summer; juvenile redfish lean shrimp-heavy
- 3
small baitfish (mullet, mojarra, anchovies) · baitfish
tertiary · finfish
In seasonDiet share17%(10–25%)- Bait equivalents
- cut mullet, finger mullet, mojarra, pinfish
- Season
- Peak May–Oct
- Vulnerable when
- Moderate on any tide
Mullet + mojarra in flats
Behaviour & biology
- Water temp
- 50–90°F
- optimum 75°F
- Salinity
- 0–36 PSU
- Feeding
- opportunistic
- Typical size
- 18–27"
- max 60" total
- Lifespan
- 40 yr
- mature at 4 yr
- School density
- 0.1–1 fish/m²
- Site fidelity
- 30–60 days
- Group feeding
- facilitates
Diurnal-leaning opportunistic predator. Tailing in shallow flats at low tide, cruising oyster bars and grass edges; ambush/visual when water clarity allows.
Field notes
Tailing behavior in shallow flats — fish nose-down on crustaceans, tail visible above the water.
- tide phase: low slack / falling
- water depth ≤ 2 ft
Spawning aggregations form near passes Aug-Nov; large schools become predictable around new/full moons.
- migration phase: spawning aggregation
Group feeding
Schools tightly during fall spawning aggregations near passes; otherwise singles or small groups in flats.
Size classes · bigger fish run solitary
Bull reds (28+ inches) trend solitary or paired in flats outside the spawning aggregation window; sub-legal and slot-size fish more likely to be in small groups.
Schooling by phase
- spawning aggregation
- Tight schools >100 fish near passes
- summer resident
- Singles or pairs in flats
Regulations
Florida Northwest- Zone
- Florida Northwest (NW)No spot selected; showing the only zone with a rule on file.
- Verified
- Apr 27, 2026 · effective Apr 27, 2026
Verify with FWC before you keep fish
Rules change mid-season and this card is only as fresh as its last verification.
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