The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has approved sweeping changes to red drum management that will affect anglers from New Jersey to Florida starting September 1, 2026.

The most significant changes target the southern stock (South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida), where overfishing has been occurring. South Carolina and Georgia must submit proposals by April 2026 to reduce fishing mortality by at least 14.4%. Florida already implemented stricter regulations in 2022 that meet these requirements.

In the Chesapeake Bay region, Virginia, Maryland, and the Potomac River will adopt unified regulations: a 3-fish bag limit with an 18-26 inch slot limit. While this increases Maryland's current 1-fish limit, it reduces the Potomac's 5-fish limit, providing better overall protection for red drum in these shared waters. The new rules simplify enforcement across state boundaries in the bay.

Northern stock states (New Jersey through North Carolina) will maintain current regulations, as fishing mortality cannot be accurately estimated for this region at present.

The addendum also modernizes the management process, allowing states to respond more quickly to new scientific data and giving the Board flexibility to approve alternative methods for assessing management impacts.

States with minimal red drum landings (less than 1% of their stock's total catch over three years) may qualify for de minimis status, which provides regulatory relief while maintaining basic conservation protections.

For complete details, visit asmfc.org/species/red-drum/ or contact Tracey Bauer at tbauer@asmfc.org.