Atlantic Mackerel: season, lures and limits

Showing the fish for Long Island, NY.

Fishing region

Season in Long Island

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NOAA NEFSC: the southern contingent moves inshore and spawns off New Jersey and New York in April and early May, and the pattern reverses in fall; preferred water 7.3 to 15.8 C. The Fisherman: NY and NJ party boats fish them in winter (January, February, around New Year) in 50 to 150 ft, a 30 minute to 2 hour ride; Bostons once reliably arrived in April; Bostons caught in the Sound in late May 2024. Mostly a boat fish; few are caught from shore. (Our inference)

Season by region

Long Island	JFMAMJJASOND
Maine	JFMAMJJASOND
New Hampshire	JFMAMJJASOND
North Shore MA	JFMAMJJASOND
Cape Cod	JFMAMJJASOND

Where to find them

Winter: party boats out of Brooklyn and the South Shore in 50 to 150 ft. Spring: some years schools pass through the Sound (Mt. Sinai, Old Field) in late May.

Schools in open water; rarely in casting range.

What to look for

Marks on the sounder or birds over small bait; once found, a school can fill a rig.

What to throw

Silver casting spoon (Clarkspoon or Drone style)1/2 to 1 oz, No. 0 to 1 / 2.5 to 3.5 in. Burn it. Fast, steady, just under the surface.

Metal casting jig (diamond, Hopkins or Stingsilver style)1 to 2 oz, 3 to 4 in. Fast steady retrieve for mackerel; let it sink and rip it up for blues; jig near bottom for weakfish.

Leader

Common mistakes

Chasing them on surface plugs (small tins and tube rigs work better)

Landing

Swing them in.

Handling

Multi-hook rigs tangle when several fish are on

Unhook over a bucket; keep hooks clear of hands.

Keep or release

Used as live or chunk bait for striped bass and bluefish, and some anglers smoke them (The Fisherman). Check the New York and federal rules.

Recipes for atlantic mackerel

Typical: unknown. Large: unknown.

New York (marine waters) limits

No state limit entry.

Last checked 2026-10-17. A summary, not legal advice; the official rules win. New York State DEC fishing regulations.

Sources

NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-NE-141: EFH source document, Atlantic mackerel (1999) (Official source)
The Fisherman: Winter Mackerel Like the Good Ol' Days (Gonzalez, 2019) (Angler knowledge)
The Fisherman: Editor's Log, Boston Macs Are Back! (Broderick, 2024) (Angler knowledge)
On The Water: Long Island Fishing Report, May 5, 2022 (Angler knowledge)

All the fish of Long Island

Atlantic Mackerel