Black drum rules in Virginia
Size, bag and season for recreational black drum in Virginia waters, as published by Virginia Marine Resources Commission.
- Size
- 16" minimum total length
- Bag
- 1 fish per person
- Season
- No closed season listed
Also on the agency page: 4 VAC 20-320.
Stale: this row was last checked Oct 12, 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.
What to know before you keep one
Black drum rules come in two shapes. New Jersey to Virginia and Georgia set a plain minimum size; North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida use a slot, and North Carolina and Florida also allow one fish over it. Bag limits run from one fish in Maryland and Virginia to fifteen in Georgia.
State water or federal water
Virginia rules apply in state waters, generally out to 3 nautical miles. Black drum are managed under the 2013 ASMFC interstate plan, which requires each state to set a minimum size of at least 14 inches and a possession limit. There are no federal-water recreational regulations. ASMFC · black drum ↗
Across the state line
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | 16" minimum | 3 fish per angler per day | Openas of Oct 13 |
| Maryland | 16" minimum | 1 fish per angler per day; 6 fish per boat | Openas of Oct 13 |
| Virginia | 16" minimum total length | 1 fish per person | Openas of Oct 13 |
| North Carolina | 14"–25" total length (slot) | 10 fish per person per day | Openas of Oct 13 |
| South Carolina | 14"–27" total length (slot) | 5 fish per person per day | Openas of Oct 13 |