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field guide

Spanish mackerel

Identification, habitat and South Padre Island field notes for spanish mackerel.

A fast, slender, silver mackerel with a green back and scattered yellow to olive oval spots, and no
sharp dip in the lateral line below the second dorsal fin — the mark that separates it from king
mackerel. NOAA Fisheries gives a maximum of about 13 pounds and roughly 12 years, with maturity by
age two, and a preference for water above 68 °F. Spanish mackerel eat herring, menhaden, sardines,
mullet, needlefish and anchovy. There are two stocks, Atlantic and Gulf; NOAA reported the Gulf stock
as neither overfished nor subject to overfishing in a 2023 assessment. They are a warm-season fish at
South Padre Island, worked from the jetties, the surf and the near-beach Gulf, and the UTRGV survey
picked up a juvenile at Holly Beach inside the lagoon in July–September.

Source-backed field notes

  • The Texas state record Spanish mackerel weighed 8.74 pounds at 34.50 inches, caught August 15, 1976 by Bobby Tarter. (State Saltwater Records: Rod and Reel — TPWD)
  • The Lower Laguna Madre record Spanish mackerel is 5.75 pounds, 29.50 inches, caught October 22, 2010 by Julia Mayberry. (All-Tackle Records for Lower Laguna Madre — TPWD)
  • Texas fly-rod state records for this sub-topic: crevalle jack 30.00 lb / 40.00 in (Sep 17 2009, Ronald Cruse, Clouser); Spanish mackerel 6.60 lb / 30.88 in (Jul 29 2007, Christopher Golla); African pompano 8.60 lb / 30.00 in (Aug 28 2006, Stan Nabozny, white chum fly); Gulf kingfish 0.88 lb / 12.50 in (Nov 10 2001, Thomas Sheehan); southern kingfish 1.19 lb / 14.25 in (Jul 9 2000, Galveston Bay, Kenneth Thyssen). (State Saltwater Records: Fly Fishing — TPWD)
  • For the 2026-27 Texas license year, Spanish mackerel have a daily bag of 15 and a 14-inch minimum length with no maximum; king mackerel have a daily bag of 3 and a 27-inch minimum. (Mackerel Bag & Length Limits — TPWD Outdoor Annual)

Observe responsibly

Wildlife, tides and access conditions change. Keep a respectful distance, do not feed wildlife, stay out of dunes and marked nesting areas, and use current official rules before fishing or handling any catch.