- Best water temperature
- 75°F24°C
- Active range
- 64 to 88°F18 to 31°C
- Feeds most
- Dawn and duskLow light
- Typical size
- 24 in60 cm
- Big ones reach
- 61 in88 lb
- Water
- SaltwaterFlats and marsh tailer
Redfish feed hardest in water around 75°F (24°C) and stay active from about 64 to 88°F. They feed hardest in low light, around dawn and dusk, with a lull in the middle of a bright day. Start with whole shrimp, a fresh chunk of cut fish, a quartered crab.
The red drum, or redfish, is the signature inshore gamefish of the Gulf of Mexico and the southern Atlantic coast: copper-colored, marked with a black spot near the tail, and found in water so shallow its back and tail break the surface as it feeds.
Redfish water temperature
Redfish feed best at 75°F (24°C), active from about 64 to 88°F (18 to 31°C). That band comes from the same species model BiteCast scores with, and it is why the Fish Score for redfish rises and falls with the water rather than the air.
In cold snaps redfish school up in deeper creeks, channels and residential canals, and on warm winter afternoons they slide onto shallow mud flats to warm up.
For a side-by-side view of every species, see the full water temperature table or the guide to reading water temperature.
When redfish bite
Moving tide is the biggest trigger: redfish push onto flats and into marsh edges on a rising tide and feed along the drains as it falls. Low light and cloudy days help in clear, shallow water.
Where to find redfish
Inshore flats, marshes and surf of the US Gulf and Atlantic coasts.
Marsh edges, oyster bars, grass flats, mangrove shorelines, docks and creek mouths. Big "bull" reds gather in the surf, passes and jetties in fall to spawn.
Best baits and lures for redfish
Ranked from BiteCast's bait data, with the colors to throw as the water gets dirtier. Natural baits show how to rig them instead of a color.
| # | Bait | Clear water | Stained | Muddy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raw ShrimpNatural bait | Rig: Whole shrimp | ||
| 2 | Cut Fish ChunkNatural bait | Rig: Fresh chunk | ||
| 3 | Live CrabNatural bait | Rig: Quartered crab | ||
| 4 | Paddle-Tail SwimbaitSoft plastic | Pearl White, Ayu, Ghost Shad | Electric Chicken, Chartreuse, Sexy Shad | White/Chartreuse, Solid Black, Hot Pink |
| 5 | Soft StickbaitSoft plastic | Green Pumpkin, Watermelon Seed, Natural Blue | Junebug, Cinnamon Brown, Smoke Blue Flake | Black & Blue, Bubblegum Pink, Solid Black |
| 6 | Lipless CrankbaitHard bait | Gold/Red, Chrome/Black, Silver Shad | Red Craw, Gold/Orange | Firetiger, Chartreuse, Solid White |
| 7 | Soft Jerk ShadSoft plastic | Pearl White, Arkansas Shad, Smelt | Houdini, Baby Bass, Pink/Silver | Chartreuse, White/Red Head, Solid Black |
| 8 | Sand FleaNatural bait | Rig: Whole sand flea | ||
Live or fresh shrimp, cut mullet or menhaden, and crab on a light jighead or a Carolina rig. Paddle-tail soft plastics and gold spoons cover water on the flats. Cast ahead of a tailing fish, not on top of it.
What redfish eat
In the wild redfish eat blue crab, shrimp, mullet, menhaden, marine worms, small crustaceans. Matching the size and color of that forage is the single most reliable way to pick a bait.
About the red drum
A copper to reddish-bronze drum identified by one or more black eyespots on the upper tail base, the lower-set mouth, and a lack of barbels.
It ranges along the western Atlantic from Massachusetts through the Gulf of Mexico, favouring estuaries, grass flats, oyster bars, and surf zones over sand and mud bottoms.
Juveniles feed largely on bottom prey in estuaries while older adults move offshore to spawn near inlets in late summer and autumn.
Large fish over 40 inches are called bull reds, the all-tackle record is about 94 pounds, and the species produces an audible drumming sound using its swim bladder.
Found in: United States, China, Mexico.
Common questions
What water temperature do redfish bite best in?
Redfish feed hardest around 75°F (24°C) and stay active from about 64 to 88°F (18 to 31°C). Below the band they slow down and feed less often; above it, warm water holds less oxygen and they go deeper or feed at night.
What time of day do redfish bite?
Redfish feed hardest in low light, around dawn and dusk, with a lull in the middle of a bright day. Cloud cover, stained water and wind chop stretch the low-light window through more of the day.
What is the best bait for redfish?
In BiteCast's bait rankings the top picks for redfish are raw shrimp, cut fish chunk, live crab.
