Big Bend and Nature Coast
King Mackerel in Big Bend and Nature Coast
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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 three days
| Day | Bite | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sun, Sep 13 | 9 | New Moon feeding boost. Light wind. Storms possible, fish early and watch the sky. Strong tide swing 3.6 ft |
| Mon, Sep 14 | 7 | Light wind. Heat, fish early or late. Storms possible, fish early and watch the sky. Strong tide swing 3.8 ft |
| Tue, Sep 15 | 6 | Breezy 18 mph. Heat, fish early or late. Storms possible, fish early and watch the sky. Strong tide swing 3.8 ft |
Seasonal pattern
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Editorial baseline for Florida. Green months are prime, yellow fair, red slow. Preferred water temperature 68–80°F.
Regulations that apply here
Applies to: state and adjacent federal 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 | Legal Gear: hook and line and spearing only |
- The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is hosting port meetings regarding king and Spanish mackerel fisheries.
- Full text rules for Atlantic and Gulf waters are available via links on the page.
- Gulf and Atlantic Federal Regulations are referenced but not detailed on this page.
Source: FWC, extracted 2026-09-12. Review flags: The page mentions 'Gulf Federal Regulations' and 'Atlantic Federal Regulations' as links but does not provide the specific regulatory text for federal waters, so those rules are not extracted.