Small Red Drum in the Potomac

Type:
Region: Southern
Location: Potomac near Coles Point

I caught what I think is a small red drum on the Potomac near Coles Point on June 17th. If I'm correct, are these common this far up and do they spawn in the river?

DNR Response: It�s not at all unusual to find red drum in the Potomac, particularly in a dry year with high salinities like we have now. Young red drum are frequently found far up rivers and as far north in the Bay as the Bay Bridge. Red drum, like most members of the drum family, spawn in shelf waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Red drum grow very rapidly in their first few years of life, and spawn in late summer through fall, so 6-9 inch fish this time of year would be less then one year old. They will not however reach 18 inches by the end of this year. Most one year old drum will be in the 12 to 16 inch range during the winter. Individuals grow at different rates, but the majority of the fish in question will exceed the 18 inch minim size limit by mid summer next year. They will then exceed the 27 inch maximum length when 3 to 4 years old. Unfortunately the fish being caught now will leave the area in early fall and generally stay in more southern estuaries as sub-adults. Most anglers do not realize female red drum do not reach maturity until age 4 to 6 (males 3-5), so most of the legal fish (18-27 inches) are immature sub-adults and have never spawned.