Species guide

Spanish Mackerel Fishing

Spanish mackerel are schooling fish found inshore, nearshore and offshore, frequently over grass beds and reefs. They migrate north in spring and return south when the water temperature drops below 70 degrees F.

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Spanish Mackerel

Every charter here names spanish mackerel on its own website, checked on the captain's own site

Check before you keep a fish. Seasons and limits change, sometimes in the middle of a season, and a court or an agency can change them overnight. Seasons and limits are set state by state. The ones on this page are Florida's, copied from FWC in Sep 2026 and listed with their source at the foot of the page. We are not a regulatory authority. Confirm the rule for the water you will fish with your captain or with that state's wildlife agency.

Where to fish for spanish mackerel

436 charters name spanish mackerel on their own website, across 147 towns in 2 states.

How big spanish mackerel run

Federal interviewers measured 7,214 of them on charter trips between 2022–2024. The middle half ran 12.4–19.7 inches, with a median of 15.1 inches.

Separately, MRIP's catch records for those trips count 11,025 kept against 2,434 released. That is a different tally from the fish that were measured, not a breakdown of them.

  • North Carolina14" median, 3,596 measured
  • Florida17.1" median, 2,528 measured
  • Virginia14.9" median, 525 measured
  • South Carolina14" median, 265 measured

NOAA Fisheries MRIP dockside interviews, 2022–2024. A sample of the fish boats brought in, not a total, and not a forecast for any one trip.

About the fish

SizeUp to 36 inches
Where it livesInshore, nearshore and offshore, often over grass beds and reefs
What it eatsSmall fish and invertebrates

FWC says they head north in spring and return south when the water drops below 70 degrees.

From FWC's species profile, checked Sep 2026.

Which rules apply to your trip

  • One set of Florida limits for both coasts.
  • FWC does not say whether its Spanish mackerel limits extend into federal waters, so this page does not claim they do.

Harvest rules

When can you keep one in Florida?

Seasons and limits are set state by state, and these are Florida's. Spanish Mackerel is caught by charters in 2 states on this page; ask your captain which rules apply where you are fishing.

Statewide

Gulf and Atlantic state waters.

  • All anglersOpen year roundFWC.
12 inches fork lengthSize limit
15 per harvesterDaily limit. FWC lists no vessel limit.

Gear rules

Beach or haul seine, cast net, hook and line, or spear.

Questions about spanish mackerel

What is the size limit?

12 inches fork length in Gulf and Atlantic state waters.

How many can I keep?

15 per harvester per day in Gulf and Atlantic state waters.

Is there a boat limit?

FWC's page lists none, only the 15 per person.

Is there a closed season?

Not in Gulf and Atlantic state waters: FWC lists the season as open year-round. The fish are absent from north Florida waters in winter.

Seasons, sizes and bag limits on this page were copied from FWC, Spanish mackerel regulations and FWC, Spanish mackerel profile in Sep 2026. Rules change, sometimes mid-season. Check the current rule with your captain or FWC before you keep a fish.