UTERBlack drum fishing in The Everglades
In The Everglades, black drum peak November–February and are around year-round, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. January: On the bars with crab in the cold.
No note for October — see the months around it.
Black drum in The Everglades, month by month
- JanuaryPeakOn the bars with crab in the cold.
- FebruaryPeakPeak dry-season sight fishing; reds school in Florida Bay. Redfish schools on the Florida Bay flats and the outside bars; snook on the sun-warmed mangrove points by afternoon.
- MarchAround
- AprilAround
- MayAround
- JuneAround
- JulyAround
- AugustAround
- SeptemberAround
- OctoberAround
- NovemberPeakThe first fronts drain the backcountry — sight fishing begins. The dry-season pattern starts: low water, clear water, fish on the open flats and in the creek bends. Snook closes the 30th.
- DecemberPeakDry season proper: clear water, low tides, fish in the open. Sight-fish the outside flats and the creek mouths on calm days; deep creek bends after each front.
Where to fish black drum near Marco Island, Everglades City, Chokoloskee
Mangrove islands, tidal creeks, oyster bars and the outside beaches from Marco south to Cape Sable, then Florida Bay's shallow basins and banks. Almost none of it developed. The most tide-driven water in the state.
Fish Scouter charts 2,179 grass flat, 42 dock / pilings, 5 channel edge spots in the The Ten Thousand Islands & Everglades map area — the kinds black drum hold on.
What to use for black drum
- Blue crabsWhole and small for permit and tarpon; halved or quartered on the bottom for black drum, redfish and cobia.
- Live shrimpUnder a popping cork or free-lined, hooked under the horn on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook; on a jig head for the bottom. The universal inshore bait.
- Fiddler crabsA #1 hook through the back corner of the shell, dropped tight to the piling — the sheepshead bait.
- Leader30–50 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook3/0–6/0
- Braid20–30 lb
Feeds in 48–78°F water, best at 54–70°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch black drum in The Everglades?
Peak season is November–February. Black drum are here year-round. January: On the bars with crab in the cold.
Where do black drum hold in The Everglades?
Look on grass flat, channel edge — around Marco Island, Everglades City, Chokoloskee, Flamingo.
What is the best bait for black drum in The Everglades?
Live bait: blue crabs, live shrimp, fiddler crabs. Blue crabs: Whole and small for permit and tarpon; halved or quartered on the bottom for black drum, redfish and cobia. Tackle: leader 30–50 lb fluorocarbon, hook 3/0–6/0, braid 20–30 lb.
What are the rules for black drum in The Everglades?
Size and bag limits and closed seasons are set by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and change — read the current rule at https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/ before you keep a fish. A licence is sold at https://myfwc.com/license/recreational/.
Fish it with the tide in your pocket
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