King Mackerel in Big Bend and Nature Coast

Slow troll live baits or spoons along reefs, wrecks and bait schools in 30 to 120 feet. Spring and fall runs along both coasts.

Next seven days

Day	Bite	Why
Wed, Nov 11	8	New Moon feeding boost. Strong tide swing 4.4 ft
Thu, Nov 12	8	Strong tide swing 4.3 ft
Fri, Nov 13	8	Strong tide swing 4.0 ft
Sat, Nov 14	8	Strong tide swing 3.7 ft
Sun, Nov 15	7	Breezy 18 mph. Strong tide swing 3.4 ft
Mon, Nov 16	6	Breezy 22 mph. Strong tide swing 2.9 ft
Tue, Nov 17	6	Breezy 22 mph. Strong tide swing 2.4 ft

Jan

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Dec

Editorial baseline for Florida. Green months are prime, yellow fair, red slow. Preferred water temperature 68–80°F.

Applies to: state waters

Species / zone	Season	Size	Bag	Notes
King Mackerel Gulf State Waters and Monroe County	open now Open year-round	24" fork length	3 per harvester	hook and line and spearing only

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is hosting a series of port meetings along the Atlantic coast to take a focused look at the commercial and recreational king and Spanish mackerel fisheries. Input gathered during these port meetings will directly affect future management efforts for king and Spanish mackerel.

Source: FWC, extracted 2026-10-29.