Freshwater Drum
Aplodinotus grunniens
A deep-bodied, silver-grey fish with a distinctive humped back and a long dorsal fin, the freshwater drum (or 'silver bass') is named for the drumming sound males make with their swim bladder. Abundant in Manitoba's Red and Assiniboine rivers and Lake Winnipeg, it feeds on the bottom for insects, clams, and small fish and pulls hard on light tackle.
Warm, turbid rivers and large lakes of southern Manitoba; a bottom-feeding native fish carried under a 10-per-day general limit.
Freshwater Drum Habitat & Size
Freshwater Drum (Aplodinotus grunniens) is associated with river water and lake water in the species record. Habitat information describes the species, not permission to fish for it. The recorded average size is approximately 16 inches; individual sizes vary.
Recorded Waters for Freshwater Drum
FishFinder links Freshwater Drum to water records in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Manitoba, Michigan, and Nebraska. These associations may reflect documented presence, seasonal runs, or historical stocking, not angler catch reports or current abundance. Read the linked water guides and source notes for evidence dates and reaches.
Freshwater Drum Fishing Regulations & Limits
A recorded association does not establish that targeting or retaining Freshwater Drum is permitted. Confirm current species protections, seasonal and emergency closures, reach-specific rules, gear restrictions, bag and size limits with the responsible fisheries authority before fishing. A fishing license does not override these restrictions. FishFinder's regulation records may be incomplete; missing rules do not mean unrestricted fishing.
Related Water Guides for Freshwater Drum
Explore these FishFinder water guides for places where Freshwater Drum is recorded:
- Lake Winnipeg — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Red River — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Assiniboine River — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Lake Manitoba — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Wabash River — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Illinois River — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Lake Red Rock — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Coralville Lake — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Mississippi River (Iowa Waters) — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Missouri River — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Big Sioux River — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Cedar River — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Des Moines River — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Iowa River — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Milford Reservoir — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Wilson Reservoir (Kansas) — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Cheney Reservoir — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Clinton Reservoir — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Perry Reservoir — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- El Dorado Reservoir — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Kanopolis Reservoir — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Glen Elder Reservoir — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Tuttle Creek Reservoir — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Melvern Reservoir — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Cedar Bluff Reservoir — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Council Grove Reservoir — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Marion Reservoir — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Pomona Reservoir — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Hillsdale Reservoir — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Big Hill Reservoir — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- John Redmond Reservoir — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Lovewell Reservoir — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Kansas River — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Arkansas River (Kansas) — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Kentucky Lake — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Lake Barkley — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Lake Cumberland — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Dale Hollow Lake — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Barren River Lake — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Cave Run Lake — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Green River Lake — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Taylorsville Lake — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Nolin River Lake — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Rough River Lake — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Laurel River Lake — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Grayson Lake — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Buckhorn Lake (Kentucky) — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Dewey Lake — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Fishtrap Lake — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Yatesville Lake — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Herrington Lake — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Cumberland River — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Kentucky River — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Elkhorn Creek — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Green River — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Toledo Bend Reservoir — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Caddo Lake — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Sabine River — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Poverty Point Reservoir — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- False River — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Eagle Lake (Louisiana) — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- John K. Kelly-Grand Bayou Reservoir — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Bussey Brake — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- D'Arbonne Lake — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Atchafalaya Basin — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Lac des Allemands — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Lake Verret — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Lake Bistineau — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Cross Lake (Louisiana) — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Lake Claiborne — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Chicot Lake — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Black Lake (Louisiana) — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Red River (Louisiana) — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Ouachita River — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Henderson Lake — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Saginaw Bay — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Lake Erie (Michigan) — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Merritt Reservoir — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Lewis and Clark Lake — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Missouri River (Nebraska Waters) — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Sutherland Reservoir — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Johnson Lake — recorded Freshwater Drum association
- Lake Maloney — recorded Freshwater Drum association
Equipment planning for Freshwater Drum
We have not selected a species-specific affiliate setup for this guide. First establish whether targeting is permitted at your destination; no tackle recommendation should be inferred from a species record.
Equipment guidance is not permission to fish. Confirm the exact water, date, species, method and current official rules first. A closed season prohibits targeting, even with release. Recorded fish presence does not establish an open fishery.
- Check permitted methods, bait and hook restrictions before choosing tackle. Match rod, line and lure ratings to the lawful method and conditions, rather than buying by species name alone.
- Plan weather protection, drinking water and a way to call for help. For boat trips, confirm required flotation and safety equipment with the responsible boating authority.
- Read the habitat and water-specific source notes in this guide, then confirm an appropriate lawful method with the local fisheries authority before choosing equipment. Do not assume a general freshwater combo suits every species or water.
This is an editorial planning checklist, not hands-on product testing. Use equipment you already own when suitable. The gear directory contains affiliate links; any product suggestions below have their own disclosure. Retailer region, availability and Canadian shipping are not guaranteed.
Browse the gear directory · Find official fishing-rule sources · Affiliate disclosure
Freshwater Drum Regulations
Review available regulation records and confirm whether fishing for Freshwater Drum is permitted with the responsible fisheries authority:
Frequently Asked Questions
What water types are associated with Freshwater Drum?
The species record associates Freshwater Drum (Aplodinotus grunniens) with river water and lake water. Habitat information is not evidence of current abundance or permission to target the species.
How big does Freshwater Drum get?
The recorded average size for Freshwater Drum is approximately 16 inches. Individual sizes vary; this average is not a maximum size or a legal retention limit.
Where does FishFinder record water associations for Freshwater Drum?
FishFinder links Freshwater Drum to water records in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Manitoba, Michigan, and Nebraska. These associations may reflect documented presence, seasonal runs, or historical stocking, not angler catch reports. Check the linked water guides and source notes for evidence dates and reaches; a listing does not guarantee current presence or legal fishing opportunity.
Does a listing or fishing license permit fishing for Freshwater Drum?
No. A listing records an association, not permission to target or retain Freshwater Drum. License requirements and exemptions vary. Confirm current species protections, seasonal and emergency closures, reach-specific rules, gear restrictions, bag and size limits with the responsible fisheries authority. A license does not override restrictions, and missing FishFinder regulation records do not mean unrestricted fishing.