King Mackerel in Tampa Bay

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
Fri, Oct 30	9	Strong tide swing 3.1 ft
Sat, Oct 31	8	Breezy 21 mph. Strong tide swing 2.8 ft
Sun, Nov 1	6	Breezy 18 mph. Rain likely 79%. Storms possible, fish early and watch the sky. Strong tide swing 2.4 ft
Mon, Nov 2	7	Storms possible, fish early and watch the sky
Tue, Nov 3	7
Wed, Nov 4	7	Light wind
Thu, Nov 5	7	Storms possible, fish early and watch the sky

Jan

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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.