Size, bag and season for recreational red drum in Maryland waters, as published by Maryland DNR Fishing and Boating Services.
Also on the agency page: Identical on Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic/Coastal Bays tables.
Stale: this row was last checked Oct 10, 2026, past our 30-day limit. Treat it as history and go to the agency page.
Rules change in season, sometimes by emergency notice. This page summarizes the agency page on the date shown. If this summary and the agency page disagree, the agency page controls.
Most Atlantic states manage red drum with a slot, a minimum and a maximum. The upper limit protects big spawning bulls, and anglers used to minimum-only rules are the ones who get caught out. Not every state is a slot: New York sets no minimum, only a 27-inch maximum, and parts of Florida are catch-and-release only. Read your state's row.
Maryland rules apply in state waters, generally out to 3 nautical miles. Harvest and possession of red drum are prohibited in Atlantic federal waters (the EEZ). The recreational fishery is a state-waters fishery. NOAA Fisheries · red drum ↗
Rules for the same fish change at the state line. If you run across it or land in the next state, those rules apply.
| State | Size | Bag | Status as of Oct 13, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 18" to less than 27" | 1 fish | Openas of Oct 13 |
| Delaware | 20"–27" (slot) | 5 | Openas of Oct 13 |
| Maryland | 18"–26" (slot) | 3 per day | Openas of Oct 13 |
| Virginia | 18"–26" (slot) | 3 per person | Openas of Oct 13 |
| North Carolina | 18"–27" total length (slot) | 1 fish per person per day | Openas of Oct 13 |
Attributed operator claims, not verified catches. The full Bite Wire →
FishTalk's October 2 lower-bay report had Eric Packard catching six striped bass near Point Lookout on shad-head jigs with soft plastics, and editor Dillon Waters reporting slot fish and overs to 26 inches at a lower Potomac creek mouth. Water at 68 degrees; speckled trout running 10-12 inches across the lower bay.
