Freshwater Drum
Aplodinotus grunniens
Also called sheepshead, drum
The freshwater drum is North America's only freshwater member of the drum family, known for the drumming sounds males produce during spawning season. They have a silvery body with a distinctive humpbacked appearance and can live over 50 years.
Freshwater Drum at a glance
- Scientific name
- Aplodinotus grunniens
- Typical size
- 12-24 inches, 2-10 lbs
- Water
- Freshwater
- Habitat
- Freshwater
- Rarity in the Fishdex™
- Common
Habitat
Found in large rivers, reservoirs, and the Great Lakes throughout central and eastern North America. Anglers target them with bottom fishing techniques using worms, crayfish, or cut bait near deeper waters and structure. They are strong fighters and increasingly popular among freshwater anglers.
Catch one and it is yours
Log a freshwater drum through the Cobia Camera and this entry fills in with your photo, your personal best, and the exact conditions on the day. The app also carries the slot and season rules for wherever you are standing.
How the Fishdex™ worksWhat to throw for freshwater drum
The lure classes that produce for freshwater drum, drawn from the same species map Cobia reasons about. Each one opens a full page on what it is, when it works and how to fish it.
Which one, in which color and which weight, depends on the water in front of you today. That part is the app.
Freshwater Drum questions people ask
Freshwater Drum is Aplodinotus grunniens. Anglers also call it sheepshead, drum.
A typical freshwater drum runs 12-24 inches, 2-10 lbs. Cobia records the length and weight of every freshwater drum you log and keeps your personal best on its Fishdex entry.
Found in large rivers, reservoirs, and the Great Lakes throughout central and eastern North America. Anglers target them with bottom fishing techniques using worms, crayfish, or cut bait near deeper waters and structure. They are strong fighters and increasingly popular among freshwater anglers. It is a fresh water species, filed under freshwater in the Fishdex.
Soft swimbaits and paddletails, jigheads and grubs and curl-tails all produce. Which one, in which color and which weight, depends on the season, the water temperature and the tide on the day, which is the part Cobia works out against the lures you already own.
Yes. Log one through the Cobia Camera and this entry fills in with your own photo, your personal best, and the conditions on the day you caught it. The app also carries the slot limits and season dates for wherever you are standing. It is free.
Tomorrow morning starts tonight
Set your home water, pick a drive radius, and wake up to a plan.
Android coming soon
iPhone, iOS 17 or later. Setup takes about a minute.