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Best red drum (redfish) lakes in Florida

54 Florida waters hold red drum (redfish), 54 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The copper flats brawler of the Atlantic and Gulf — tailing in inches of water over grass and oysters, schooling at the passes in fall.

1. Indian River — 48 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, SheepsheadWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 90 public access sites, 37 carry-in or shore-oriented
2. Choctawhatchee Bay — 39 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, SheepsheadWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 25 public access sites, 4 carry-in or shore-oriented
3. Boca Ciega Bay — 51 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 29 public access sites, 16 carry-in or shore-oriented
4. Middle Tampa Bay — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 15 public access sites, 6 carry-in or shore-oriented
5. Santa Rosa Sound — 25 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, SheepsheadWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 14 public access sites, 4 carry-in or shore-oriented
6. Lower Tampa Bay — 80 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 10 public access sites, 6 carry-in or shore-oriented
7. East Central Florida Bay — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
8. Old Tampa Bay — 45 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 15 public access sites, 7 carry-in or shore-oriented
9. Lemon Bay — 17 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 12 public access sites, 7 carry-in or shore-oriented
10. South-Central Outer Biscayne Bay — 23 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 13 public access sites, 7 carry-in or shore-oriented
11. Pensacola Bay — 66 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, SheepsheadWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
12. North Banana River Lagoon — 42 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, SheepsheadWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites, 3 carry-in or shore-oriented
13. Perdido Bay — 17 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, SheepsheadWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
14. North-Central Inshore Biscayne Bay — 14 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Sheepshead, Snook, Gray Snapper (Mangrove Snapper)Why #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites, 3 carry-in or shore-oriented
15. East Bay — 21 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, SheepsheadWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
16. Upper Pine Island Sound — 38 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
17. Hillsborough Bay — 55 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites, 4 carry-in or shore-oriented
18. Titusville Indian River Lagoon — 23 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
19. North Indian River Lagoon — 23 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Snook, PermitWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites, 6 carry-in or shore-oriented
20. South-Central Mid-Bay Biscayne Bay — 14 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites, 4 carry-in or shore-oriented
21. North Sarasota Bay — 23 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
22. South Banana River Lagoon — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites, 3 carry-in or shore-oriented
23. Matlacha Pass — 15 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
24. San Carlos Bay — 31 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites, 3 carry-in or shore-oriented
25. Cocoa Indian River Lagoon — 19 ft max · survey depth data · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Sheepshead, SnookWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented

…plus 29 more Florida waters holding red drum (redfish).

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When to fish red drum (redfish) in Florida

• Spring 1–8 ft — Warming water pulls reds onto grass flats and oyster bars — sight-fish the flood tide, work bar edges on the drop.
• Summer 2–12 ft — Early and late over grass; midday fish slide to channel edges and shaded docks. A gold spoon never stops working.
• Fall 3–20 ft — The season — bull reds stage at inlets and passes on the mullet run, slot fish gorge on the flats.
• Winter 3–15 ft — Clear-water schools pod up in deep holes and dark-bottom flats that soak up sun — slow, small, quiet.

Also in Florida: best largemouth bass lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best white bass & hybrids lakes · best longnose gar lakes · best spotted seatrout lakes · best southern flounder lakes · best sheepshead lakes · best snook lakes · best gulf flounder lakes · best black drum lakes · best gray snapper (mangrove snapper) lakes · best gag grouper lakes · best permit lakes

Red Drum (Redfish) elsewhere: Texas · North Carolina