Freshwater Drum
Scientific Name: — | Category: saltwater
Rising from the muddy depths, the freshwater drum is a stubbornly built quarry that surprises many anglers with its brutish strength and rugged appearance. Often misjudged as a mere bottom dweller, these fish possess a robust, compressed body shaped like a deep, sloping football, with a distinctly convex forehead and a tail that flares into a powerful paddle. They reach a respectable size, commonly weighing between 2 and 10 pounds, with true trophies stretching beyond 30 pounds in exceptional systems. Their coloration is a muted symphony of olive-brown to silvery-grey, often with a subtle bronze sheen, and their defining feature—the namesake drumming—is a set of large otolith bones in their skull, which feel like rough stones if an angler probes the head. You won't mistake its fight; it’s a dogged, head-shaking bulldog of a fish that makes the line thrum with deep, resonant pulls.
species.getBySlug
{
"id": "8f10f67f-39a3-4335-bd36-7d80580f2503",
"commonName": "Freshwater Drum",
"scientificName": null,
"slug": "freshwater-drum",
"category": "saltwater",
"aliases": [
"Sheepshead",
"Gaspergou",
"Gou",
"Silver Bass",
"Croaker",
"Thunderfish",
"Wreckfish",
"Lake Drum"
],
"description": "Rising from the muddy depths, the freshwater drum is a stubbornly built quarry that surprises many anglers with its brutish strength and rugged appearance. Often misjudged as a mere bottom dweller, these fish possess a robust, compressed body shaped like a deep, sloping football, with a distinctly convex forehead and a tail that flares into a powerful paddle. They reach a respectable size, commonly weighing between 2 and 10 pounds, with true trophies stretching beyond 30 pounds in exceptional systems. Their coloration is a muted symphony of olive-brown to silvery-grey, often with a subtle bronze sheen, and their defining feature—the namesake drumming—is a set of large otolith bones in their skull, which feel like rough stones if an angler probes the head. You won't mistake its fight; it’s a dogged, head-shaking bulldog of a fish that makes the line thrum with deep, resonant pulls.",
"imageUrl": "https://media.meridiaoutdoors.com/media/species/freshwater-drum/main.webp",
"hero": {
"blurhash": "U*PGT:WAt8t7a{WBofof_4j]axt7%MofWBj]",
"altText": "Freshwater Drum watercolor",
"caption": "Rising from the muddy depths, the freshwater drum is a stubbornly built quarry that surprises many anglers with its brutish strength and rugged appearance.",
"width": 2400,
"height": 1340
},
"phases": [
{
"id": "6a593c23-efeb-4349-acd0-0d5047869d3d",
"name": "Adult",
"slug": "adult",
"description": "The freshwater drum spends its adult life as a resilient bottom-dweller, patrolling murky waters in search of crustaceans, mollusks, and small fish. This phase is marked by a slow, deliberate lifestyle, with the fish using its powerful body to root through sediment and its specialized pharyngeal teeth to crush hard-shelled prey.",
"appearance": "Robust, compressed body shaped like a deep, sloping football, typically 12-30 inches in length and 2-10 pounds in weight, with trophies exceeding 30 pounds. Coloration is a muted olive-brown to silvery-grey, often with a subtle bronze sheen on the sides and a lighter, silvery belly. The head features a distinctly convex forehead, small eyes, and a subterminal mouth. Fins are dusky grey or brownish, with the tail flaring into a powerful, slightly forked paddle. The skin is rough to the touch, and the defining internal feature is the large, stone-like otolith bones in the skull.",
"triggers": null,
"habitat": "Freshwater lakes, rivers, and reservoirs across North America, preferring muddy or sandy bottoms in deep, slow-moving waters, often at depths of 10-50 feet.",
"anglersNote": "This is the primary phase targeted by anglers, known for its stubborn, head-shaking fight and accessibility year-round, though it's often considered a bycatch species rather than a trophy.",
"displayOrder": 0,
"imageUrl": null,
"media": null
}
],
"contentUpdatedAt": "2026-05-09T22:33:09.971Z"
}species.getDestinations (0)
[]
faqs.getByEntity (0)
[]
seo.getBySlug
{
"title": null,
"description": "Freshwater drum, also known as Gaspergou or Silver Bass, offer a strong fight in North American lakes and rivers. Learn about this bottom-dweller.",
"h1Override": null,
"canonicalUrl": null,
"robots": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": "The Freshwater Drum, or Gaspergou, is a tough, bottom-dwelling fish found in lakes and rivers across North America. Known for its drumming sound and powerful fight, it's a worthy adversary.",
"ogImage": null,
"ogType": null,
"twitterCard": null,
"focusKeyword": "freshwater drum fishing",
"secondaryKeywords": [
"freshwater drum",
"saltwater",
"sheepshead",
"gaspergou",
"gou",
"silver bass",
"croaker",
"thunderfish",
"wreckfish",
"lake drum"
],
"sitemapPriority": null,
"sitemapChangefreq": null,
"customMeta": null,
"redirectUrl": null,
"breadcrumbLabel": null
}