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Basic Commercial Fishing Regulations
King mackerel are
divided into two
separate fisheries:
the Atlantic fishery
and the Gulf-Atlantic
fishery. Bag limits vary
by fishery, region, and
season.
The boundaries
between the Atlantic
and Gulf-Atlantic
fisheries shift between
the summer and winter
seasons. During the
summer season (April
1 - Oct. 31), the Atlantic
Fishery includes all
Atlantic and Monroe
County waters and the
Gulf-Atlantic fishery
includes all Gulf waters
north of the Collier/
Monroe County line.
During the winter
season (Nov. 1 - March
31), the Atlantic
fishery includes only
Atlantic waters north
of the Volusia/Flagler
County line and the
Gulf-Atlantic Fishery
includes all Atlantic
waters south of the
Volusia/Flagler County
line and all Gulf waters
east of the Alabama/
Florida border.
In both the Atlantic and
Gulf-Atlantic fisheries,
the trip limit for the
commercial harvest
of king mackerel in
state waters is reduced
or closed in response
to federal trip limit
reductions and closures.
King mackerel must
be at least 24 inches
in fork length to
be harvested and a
saltwater products
license, a restricted
species endorsement
and a federal king
mackerel permit must
be held to harvest king
mackerel commercially.
Colored areas in the
vessel/trip limits chart
correspond to colored
area in the maps.
KING MACKEREL (KINGFISH)
Maps designed by Mason Smith, DMFM
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