Species guide · Florida
Spanish mackerel fishing in Florida
Scomberomorus maculatus, a nearshore species also called spanish, spanish mack and spaniard. Listed for the South Florida and the Keys, Eastern Gulf and South Atlantic regions. Shoulder season, about 3 more weeks.
Right now it scores best in Coastal Waters from Mexico Beach to Apalachicola out 20 NM at 78, one of 31 Florida bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.
Season now
Shoulder seasonSeason by month
From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.
South Florida and the Keys
Shoulder season, about 3 more weeks- Jan: Peak season
- Feb: Peak season
- Mar: Peak season
- Apr: Shoulder season
- May: Off season
- Jun: Off season
- Jul: Off season
- Aug: Off season
- Sep: Off season
- Oct: Shoulder season
- Nov: Shoulder season
- Dec: Peak season
Peak: Dec to Mar. In season (shoulder or peak): Oct to Apr.
Research notes, South Florida and the Keys region
Winter fishery off southeast Florida and the Keys when the Atlantic stock moves south. SAFMC notes they do not move freely around the Keys, so Gulf and Atlantic groups are managed separately.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
Eastern Gulf
Peak season, about 2 more weeks- Jan: Off season
- Feb: Off season
- Mar: Shoulder season
- Apr: Peak season
- May: Peak season
- Jun: Shoulder season
- Jul: Shoulder season
- Aug: Shoulder season
- Sep: Shoulder season
- Oct: Peak season
- Nov: Peak season
- Dec: Off season
Peak: Apr to May, Oct to Nov. In season (shoulder or peak): Mar to Nov.
Research notes, Eastern Gulf region
Spring and fall runs peak along the Florida Gulf coast as fish pass through; Panhandle and Alabama waters hold them through summer. FWC notes they return south when water drops below about 70F.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
South Atlantic
Off season, about 16 more weeks- Jan: Off season
- Feb: Off season
- Mar: Shoulder season
- Apr: Peak season
- May: Peak season
- Jun: Peak season
- Jul: Shoulder season
- Aug: Shoulder season
- Sep: Shoulder season
- Oct: Shoulder season
- Nov: Off season
- Dec: Off season
Peak: Apr to Jun. In season (shoulder or peak): Mar to Oct.
Research notes, South Atlantic region
NOAA: fish reach North Carolina by early April and spawn April to September off North Carolina and Virginia. Northeast Florida and Georgia fish best in spring and fall; the Carolinas hold them all summer.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
Where it's scoring now · 31
Florida bay systems ranked by the Waterlands engine's spanish mackerel score this hour.
Best window today 4-7 PM (78) · Best day Fri, Nov 6 at 9 AM (82) · 24 named spots
Best window today 4-9 PM (77) · Best day Fri, Nov 6 at 7 AM (80) · 39 named spots
Best window today 4-8 PM (78) · Best day Thu, Nov 5 at 8 AM (82) · 195 named spots
Best window today 6-10 PM (75) · Best day Thu, Nov 5 at 9 AM (81) · 49 named spots
Best window today 4-10 PM (75) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 8 AM (80) · 131 named spots
Best window today 5-8 PM (80) · Best day Fri, Nov 6 at 7 AM (82) · 81 named spots
Best window today 5-9 PM (79) · Best day Thu, Nov 5 at 8 AM (84) · 126 named spots
Best window today 6-10 PM (76) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 8 AM (82) · 20 named spots
Best window today 3-6 PM (71) · Best day Fri, Nov 6 at 4 PM (76) · 13 named spots
Best window today 4-6 PM (70) · Best day Wed, Nov 11 at 8 AM (72) · 16 named spots
Best window today 3-7 PM (72) · Best day Wed, Nov 11 at 6 AM (78) · 79 named spots
Best window today 4-5 PM (70) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 8 AM (72)
Best window today 4-7 PM (69) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 8 AM (71) · 199 named spots
Best window today 4-7 PM (69) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 8 AM (73) · 82 named spots
Best window today 4-8 PM (69) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 8 AM (70) · 109 named spots
Best window today 3-8 PM (74) · Best day Fri, Nov 13 at 3 PM (77) · 23 named spots
Best window today 4-10 PM (67) · Best day Thu, Nov 12 at 7 AM (75) · 6 named spots
Best window today 4-9 PM (71) · Best day Fri, Nov 13 at 3 PM (80) · 46 named spots
Best window today 6-8 PM (68) · Best day Thu, Nov 5 at 8 AM (70)
Best window today 5-6 PM (54) · Best day Thu, Nov 5 at 6 AM (62)
Best window today 4-8 PM (53) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 8 AM (56) · 11 named spots
Best window today 5 PM-12 AM (51) · Best day Mon, Nov 9 at 7 AM (63)
Best window today 6-9 PM (57) · Best day Fri, Nov 13 at 4 PM (65)
Best window today 5-10 PM (45) · Best day Mon, Nov 16 at 6 PM (53)
Best window today 6-10 PM (52) · Best day Fri, Nov 13 at 4 PM (64)
Best window today 6-11 PM (50) · Best day Mon, Nov 16 at 6 PM (62)
Best window today 4 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 12 AM (35) · 22 named spots
Best window today 4 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 12 AM (35) · 4 named spots
Best window today 4 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 12 AM (35) · 21 named spots
Best window today 4 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 12 AM (35) · 88 named spots
Best window today 4 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 12 AM (35) · 92 named spots
How and where it feeds
- Water temperature
- Feeds from 68°F to 90°F, best between 72°F and 84°F.
- Water depth
- 5 to 50 ft of water.
- Structure
- Inlet, rip, pass, jetty, pier, beach and shoal, in that order of preference.
- Tide and current
- Prefers incoming tide and outgoing tide, with moderate current.Spanish feed where current pushes bait against structure or along tide rips at inlets and passes. Clean incoming water at an inlet is often best. Slack water scatters the schools.
- Light
- Bites best around dawn and dusk.
- Pressure
- Little response to pressure changes.
- Wind and sea limits
- 18 kt of wind and 4 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.
Tackle and technique
Spanish mackerel school along beaches and around inlets, jetties, piers and bridge-tunnel structures, and along tide rips in 5 to 40 feet of water once the water climbs above about 68 degrees F. Troll small spoons or cast metal jigs and retrieve fast, or look for birds diving on bait and cast into the school. FWC calls for a 30 to 60 pound monofilament leader because their teeth cut light line.
- Methods
- trolling, casting to surface schools, pier fishing, live bait
- Lures
- small trolling spoon (Clark or Drone), Gotcha plug, metal jig, small bucktail or duster, planer and spoon
- Bait
- live glass minnows, pilchard, finger mullet, shrimp
Regulations
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Synced with FWC Nov 4, 2026. Rules shown verified Sep 13, 2026.
15 per day · Minimum 12 in, fork length
Season: No closed season on file
50 CFR part 622, subpart Q (coastal migratory pelagics) · verified Sep 13, 2026
15 per day · Minimum 12 in, fork length
Season: No closed season on file
South of the Monroe and Miami-Dade county line these fish belong to the Gulf group, which has the same limits.
50 CFR part 622, subpart Q (coastal migratory pelagics) · verified Sep 13, 2026
15 per day · Minimum 12 in, fork length
Season: No closed season on file
Beach or haul seine, cast net, hook and line, or spear. Open year-round.
FWC Recreational Regulations: Spanish Mackerel · verified Sep 13, 2026
Other Florida species
- Black sea bass
- Bluefish
- Bonefish
- Common snook
- Crevalle jack
- Florida pompano
- Gag grouper
- King mackerel
- Little tunny
- Red drum
- Southern flounder
- Spotted seatrout
- Wahoo
- Weakfish
- Atlantic croaker
- Atlantic tarpon
- Black drum
- Cobia
- Gray snapper
- Gray triggerfish
- Greater amberjack
- Permit
- Red grouper
- Red snapper
- Sailfish
- Sheepshead
- Spot
- Striped bass
- Summer flounder
- Yellowfin tuna
- Mahi-mahi