How to catch Atlantic mackerel
Scomber scombrus Linnaeus, 1758
About Atlantic mackerel fishing
The Atlantic mackerel is a swift pelagic schooling fish belonging to the family Scombridae, easily identified by its streamlined fusiform body, steel-blue dorsal coloring with distinctive wavy black markings, and silvery-white flanks. Mature individuals commonly measure around thirty centimetres in length, though they can reach up to sixty centimetres and attain weights of over three kilograms. This oceanodromous species inhabits temperate and brackish coastal waters across the northern Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Black Sea, frequently roaming surface layers down to one thousand metres. Highly migratory, mackerel travel in vast shoals and approach shallow coastal shelves during warmer spring and summer months to feed actively on zooplankton and small fish before retreating to deeper offshore waters for the winter. Their voracious feeding habits and explosive strikes make them a favourite target for recreational sea anglers throughout Europe.
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Difficulty
Medium
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Average size
30 cm FL
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Market value
Medium
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Habitat
Brackish, Saltwater
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Season
Spring, Summer, Autumn
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Also known as
Joey, Mackerel, Split
Caudal Shape
Deeply forked caudal fin helps identify this pelagic swimmer.
Diagonal Stripes
Wavy dark diagonal bands across the back distinguish mackerel.
Terminal Mouth
Terminal mouth position indicates a predatory pelagic feeding habit.
Atlantic mackerel fishing facts
Characteristics
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Typical size
30 cm FL (max 60 cm FL ) -
Typical weight
0.5 kg (max 3.4 kg ) -
Preferred temperature
7–17.5 °C -
Depth
0–1,000 m -
Longevity
17 years -
Body shape
Fusiform / Normal -
Commercial?
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Vulnerability score
30.2
Best hours
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Peak
Dawn
First light
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Active
Morning
After sunrise
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Low
Midday
High sun
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Active
Afternoon
Late day
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Peak
Dusk
Last light
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Low
Night
After dark
When to fish for Atlantic mackerel
How to catch Atlantic mackerel
Tips for catching Atlantic mackerel
Successful mackerel fishing relies on locating fast-moving surface shoals as they herd small baitfish near coastal headboards, piers, and tidal rips during the warmer daylight hours. Spinners and feathered multi-lure rigs worked with a brisk, erratic retrieve mimic fleeing fry and reliably trigger aggressive multi-hook strikes. When fish remain lower in the water column or around structured ground, vertical jigging with slim metal lures or float fishing with strips of fresh fish bait suspended at variable depths yields excellent catches. Early morning and late afternoon generally provide the most consistent sport, especially when incoming tides push nutrient-rich currents close to the shore.
Other names for Atlantic mackerel
Local and alternate names anglers use for Atlantic mackerel.
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Atlantic mackerel
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Split
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Mackerel
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Joey
How Atlantic mackerel migrates — Oceanodromous
Migrates within the sea between spawning, nursery and feeding grounds, and never enters fresh water. Follow its seasonal shifts along the coast and offshore.
1 Eggs
Spawning grounds
Laid on the spawning grounds.
2 Larvae
→ Nursery grounds
Drift with the currents to the nursery grounds.
3 Juveniles
Nursery grounds
Grow up in sheltered nursery waters.
4 Adults
Feeding grounds
Range widely over the feeding grounds.
5 Spawners
→ Spawning grounds
Return to the spawning grounds each season.
It stays in the sea and never runs up into fresh water.
Hover or tap a number to read each stage.
Diet and behavior of Atlantic mackerel
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Diet
Carnivore -
Feeds by
Mixed feeder -
Hunts
Dawn · Dusk -
Main prey
Baitfish · Bottom prey · Plankton
Prey and predators of Atlantic mackerel
Prey is what Atlantic mackerel eats. Predators are the animals that eat it.
That is how it feeds, and how it is hunted.
Prey
What it eats
Predators
What hunts it
Where Atlantic mackerel lives
Pelagic over the continental shelf — coastal open water, not the deep ocean.
0–1,000 m · usually 0–200 m
Estuary
Where this species lives
Atlantic mackerel photos for identification
Compare these photos with the catalog plate to identify the species.
Where to fish for Atlantic mackerel
Mapped fishing spots where Atlantic mackerel is recorded — open a pin for access and methods.
