Wahoo

Wahoo Fishing in Florida

Wahoo are related to mackerels and belong to the fish family Scombridae. They live in tropical and subtropical waters worldwide.

Florida rules from FWC and NOAA Fisheries, checked Sep 2026

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. Everything here was copied from FWC and NOAA Fisheries in Sep 2026 and is listed with its source at the bottom of this page. We are not a regulatory authority. Confirm the current rule with your captain or with FWC before you keep a fish.

Florida state record

  • 139.56 lb Marathon · May 18, 1960 · George Von Hoffman

From FWC Florida Saltwater Fishing Records (All-Tackle), checked Sep 2026. Records are certified by FWC and can be broken at any time.

How big wahoo run

Federal interviewers measured 429 of them on charter trips between 2022–2024. The middle half ran 35.5–53.2 inches, with a median of 44.4 inches. Most were kept: 396 landed against 11 released.

  • North Carolina45" median, 291 measured
  • Florida41.9" median, 136 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 8 feet and 158 pounds. Commonly 3.3 to 5.4 feet
Where it livesTropical and subtropical water, near the surface
What it eatsSquid and fish, including frigate mackerel and round herring

NOAA says wahoo have a short life span, up to 5 or 6 years.

From FWC's species profile, checked Sep 2026.

Which rules apply to your trip

  • FWC publishes one set of limits and links out to the federal rules rather than restating them, so this page does not claim the state numbers apply offshore.

Florida: when you can keep one

As published by FWC.

  • All anglersOpen year roundFWC.
No minimum sizeSize limit
2 per personDaily limit. FWC lists no vessel limit.

Questions about wahoo

How many wahoo can we keep?

FWC lists two per person per day.

Is there a size limit?

No. FWC lists the minimum size as none.

Is there a closed season?

No. FWC lists wahoo as open year round.

How big do they get?

NOAA says up to 8 feet and 158 pounds, though they are commonly between 3.3 and 5.4 feet long.

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