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Atlantic mackerel fishing in New Jersey saltwater fishing

In New Jersey saltwater fishing, Atlantic mackerel peak April and are around March–April, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. March: The spring mackerel run offshore — Christmas-tree rigs and chum, when it comes.

Now · October
Not here

Not in New Jersey saltwater fishing this month.

Atlantic mackerel in New Jersey saltwater fishing, month by month

  1. JanuaryNot here
  2. FebruaryNot here
  3. MarchArrivingThe spring mackerel run offshore — Christmas-tree rigs and chum, when it comes.
  4. AprilPeakRaritan Bay comes alive; tog and weakfish. Bunker schools in Raritan Bay — snag-and-drop and chunk for stripers, big blues right behind them; crabs on the jetties for tog; tiderunner weakfish late in the month.
  5. MayNot here
  6. JuneNot here
  7. JulyNot here
  8. AugustNot here
  9. SeptemberNot here
  10. OctoberNot here
  11. NovemberNot here
  12. DecemberNot here

Where to fish Atlantic mackerel near Cape May, Atlantic City, Barnegat Light

A 130-mile barrier-island coast of surf beaches and rock jetties, cut by inlets (Cape May, Townsends, Absecon, Barnegat, Manasquan, Shark River) into shallow back bays — Barnegat Bay, Great Bay, the Cape May wetlands — with Raritan Bay at the north end; offshore, a field of artificial reefs, ridges and wrecks out to the Hudson, Toms, Wilmington and Spencer canyons.

Structure it holds on
Fishing pierLedge / hard bottomPass / inletChannel edge
Towns and waters
Cape MayAtlantic CityBarnegat LightPoint PleasantBelmarSandy Hook

Fish Scouter charts 148 ledge / hard bottom spots in the The Jersey Shore map area — the kinds Atlantic mackerel hold on.

What to use for Atlantic mackerel

  • Leader20–40 lb fluorocarbon
  • Hook#1–4/0
  • Jig head1/8–1/2 oz
  • Braid10–30 lb

Feeds in 44–68°F water, best at 48–62°F.

Questions anglers ask

When is the best time to catch Atlantic mackerel in New Jersey saltwater fishing?

Peak season is April. Atlantic mackerel are in New Jersey saltwater fishing March–April. March: The spring mackerel run offshore — Christmas-tree rigs and chum, when it comes.

Where do Atlantic mackerel hold in New Jersey saltwater fishing?

Look on fishing pier, ledge / hard bottom, pass / inlet, channel edge — around Cape May, Atlantic City, Barnegat Light, Point Pleasant, Belmar, Sandy Hook.

What is the best bait for Atlantic mackerel in New Jersey saltwater fishing?

Tackle: leader 20–40 lb fluorocarbon, hook #1–4/0, jig head 1/8–1/2 oz, braid 10–30 lb.

What are the rules for Atlantic mackerel in New Jersey saltwater fishing?

Size and bag limits and closed seasons are set by the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife (NJ Fish and Wildlife) and change — read the current rule at https://dep.nj.gov/njfw/fishing/marine/ before you keep a fish. A licence is sold at https://dep.nj.gov/njfw/licenses-and-permits/.

The current NJ Fish and Wildlife rule →Open the app for today's Atlantic mackerel read

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All about Atlantic mackerel · The Jersey Shore, the whole year

Other fish in The Jersey Shore
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Atlantic mackerel in other waters
Long Island & the SoundSouthern New EnglandThe Gulf of Maine