Inshore saltwater
Redfish
Sciaenops ocellatus. Also called red drum.
Length to weight chart, typical size by age, and how to photograph a redfish so fishline measures it well.
- Typical top length
- 42 in
- about 30.8 lb
- A 32 inch fish
- 13.4 lb
- 13 lb 7 oz
- Age at 32 inches
- 5 to 6 years
- rough, varies by water
- Growth levels off
- about age 25
- gains slow to a crawl after
Redfish length to weight chart
Estimated weight for a redfish in average shape at each length, from the formula W = L^3.05 / 2,900 (W in pounds, L in inches). It is the same relationship fishline uses when it measures a redfish from a photo.
| Length | Weight | Rough age |
|---|---|---|
| 14 in | 1.1 lb | 1 to 2 years |
| 16 in | 1.6 lb | about 2 years |
| 18 in | 2.3 lb | 2 to 3 years |
| 20 in | 3.2 lb | 2 to 3 years |
| 22 in | 4.3 lb | about 3 years |
| 24 in | 5.6 lb | 3 to 4 years |
| 26 in | 7.1 lb | about 4 years |
| 28 in | 8.9 lb | 4 to 5 years |
| 30 in | 11.0 lb | about 5 years |
| 32 in | 13.4 lb | 5 to 6 years |
| 34 in | 16.2 lb | 6 to 7 years |
| 36 in | 19.2 lb | 7 to 8 years |
| 38 in | 22.7 lb | 9 to 10 years |
| 40 in | 26.5 lb | 12 to 13 years |
| 42 in | 30.8 lb | 25+ years |
| 44 in | 35.5 lb | 25+ years |
Total length, nose to the tip of the pinched tail. Weights are for a redfish 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 42 inches are bigger than typical for the species.
Size by age
fishline's growth model puts a typical redfish at around 42 inches when fully grown, with most of its growth done by about age 25. 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 | 9.3 in | 0.31 lb |
| 2 years | 16.5 in | 1.8 lb |
| 3 years | 22.2 in | 4.4 lb |
| 4 years | 26.5 in | 7.6 lb |
| 5 years | 30 in | 11.0 lb |
| 6 years | 32.6 in | 14.3 lb |
| 8 years | 36.3 in | 19.8 lb |
| 10 years | 38.6 in | 23.7 lb |
| 12 years | 39.9 in | 26.4 lb |
| 15 years | 41 in | 28.6 lb |
| 20 years | 41.7 in | 30.2 lb |
| 25 years | 41.9 in | 30.6 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 redfish
Enter the length, and the girth if you taped it, for an estimate on your fish.
Photo tips for redfish
fishline reads length from the photo using whatever is in frame for scale, so a clean, side-on shot gives the tightest number.
- 1Lay the fish on the deck or a wet board next to a cooler or a measuring sticker, and shoot straight down from above.
- 2On a hand-held photo keep your arms in and the fish level with your chest. A fish held out toward the camera looks much bigger than it is, and fishline has to undo that.
- 3Get the tail in. Total length runs to the tip of the tail, so a cropped tail means a short read.
More inshore saltwater
Or skip the tape. Snap a photo and fishline measures it.
Species, length and weight from one photo. 5 free measurements every month.