Best red drum (redfish) lakes in Maryland
5 Maryland waters list red drum (redfish) (official records or labelled estimates), 5 mapped with survey or official-chart depth data. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality, leading with the waters in our reviewed search catalog — 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.
- Chincoteague Bay — 21 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Summer Flounder (Fluke)Why #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites
- Tangier Sound — 116 ft · Survey depth data · 90% measured · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Summer Flounder (Fluke)Why #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
- Tar Bay — 15 ft · Survey depth data · 99% measured · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Red Drum (Redfish), Summer Flounder (Fluke), BluefishWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Somers Cove — 13 ft · Survey depth data · 89% measured · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Red Drum (Redfish), Summer Flounder (Fluke), BluefishWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Whitewood Cove — 8 ft · Survey depth data · 100% measured · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Red Drum (Redfish), Summer Flounder (Fluke), BluefishWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
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How to use this ranking
The order is a map-planning ranking, not a claim about today's fish population. It favors larger mapped waters and gives survey-backed contours a three-times data-quality boost. Agency population surveys, current regulations, access and recent conditions should make the final decision.
Compare maximum depth across 37,233 lake records · See Maryland waters with public access data
When to fish red drum (redfish) in Maryland
- 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 Maryland: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best striped bass lakes · best summer flounder (fluke) lakes · best bluefish lakes
Red Drum (Redfish) elsewhere: Florida · Texas · Alabama · North Carolina