Carp and drum
Freshwater drum
Aplodinotus grunniens.
Length to weight chart, typical size by age, and how to photograph a freshwater drum so fishline measures it well.
- Typical top length
- 30 in
- about 13.9 lb
- A 23 inch fish
- 6.1 lb
- 6 lb 2 oz
- Age at 23 inches
- 7 to 8 years
- rough, varies by water
- Growth levels off
- about age 15
- gains slow to a crawl after
Freshwater drum length to weight chart
Estimated weight for a freshwater drum in average shape at each length, from the formula W = L^3.1 / 2,730 (W in pounds, L in inches). It is the same relationship fishline uses when it measures a freshwater drum from a photo.
| Length | Weight | Rough age |
|---|---|---|
| 10 in | 0.46 lb | about 2 years |
| 12 in | 0.81 lb | 2 to 3 years |
| 14 in | 1.3 lb | about 3 years |
| 16 in | 2.0 lb | 3 to 4 years |
| 18 in | 2.9 lb | 4 to 5 years |
| 20 in | 4.0 lb | 5 to 6 years |
| 22 in | 5.3 lb | 6 to 7 years |
| 24 in | 7.0 lb | about 8 years |
| 26 in | 8.9 lb | about 10 years |
| 28 in | 11.2 lb | 13 to 14 years |
| 30 in | 13.9 lb | 15+ years |
| 32 in | 17.0 lb | 15+ years |
Total length, nose to the tip of the pinched tail. Weights are for a freshwater drum in average shape. A fat fish, like a female before the spawn, weighs more and a thin one less, which a girth measurement picks up. Rows past 30 inches are bigger than typical for the species.
Size by age
fishline's growth model puts a typical freshwater drum at around 30 inches when fully grown, with most of its growth done by about age 15. Younger fish add length fast; older fish mostly add weight.
Age from length is rough. Fish in warm water with plenty to eat grow faster than this, and fish in cold or crowded water grow slower. For a quick estimate from any length, use the fish age calculator.
| Age | Length | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 5.4 in | 0.07 lb |
| 2 years | 9.9 in | 0.45 lb |
| 3 years | 13.5 in | 1.2 lb |
| 4 years | 16.5 in | 2.2 lb |
| 5 years | 19 in | 3.4 lb |
| 6 years | 21 in | 4.6 lb |
| 8 years | 23.9 in | 6.9 lb |
| 10 years | 25.9 in | 8.9 lb |
| 12 years | 27.3 in | 10.3 lb |
| 15 years | 28.5 in | 11.9 lb |
From a von Bertalanffy growth curve. Fish in warm, food-rich water grow faster than this and fish in cold or crowded water grow slower, so treat every row as a rough middle.
Weigh your freshwater drum
Enter the length, and the girth if you taped it, for an estimate on your fish.
Photo tips for freshwater drum
fishline reads length from the photo using whatever is in frame for scale, so a clean, side-on shot gives the tightest number.
- 1Kneel and hold the fish low over an unhooking mat or wet grass, one hand under the head and one under the belly.
- 2Turn the fish so the camera sees the full side profile, not the belly. Level and side-on measures best.
- 3Put something of known size in the frame: your hand on the fish, a bucket, or the rod handle laid alongside.
More carp and drum
Or skip the tape. Snap a photo and fishline measures it.
Species, length and weight from one photo. 5 free measurements every month.