nearshore

Cero Mackerel

Scomberomorus regalis

Smaller cousin of king/Spanish — tropical reef-edge pelagic. Hard hits on small jigs and live pilchards over patch reefs in FL Keys + Bahamas. Year-round in warm water.

Preferred water temp70–84°F

Preferred depth10–100 ft

Holds onreef edges, patch reefs

In our regions

Central/Southeast Florida — AtlanticBahamas — Bimini & Grand BahamaBahamas — Abaco & AndrosBahamas — Eleuthera, Exuma & Cat IslandMiami & Keys — Atlantic sideSouthwest Florida — Gulf

Regulations

⚠️ BETA: best-effort current as of May 31, 2026. Confirm with the linked FWC / NOAA source before keeping a fish.

Showing 2 of 2 regulations

STATE

All Florida — State + Federal

Currently OPENOpen year-round

Bag limit: 15 / angler / day
Minimum: 12″ FL (fork length)

15/person/day (aggregate with Spanish + cero), 12" FL min.

FWC. Tropical reef-edge pelagic — caught on patch reefs in S FL.

BAHAMAS

Bahamas — Department of Marine Resources

Currently OPENOpen year-round

No specific limit — common reef-edge catch.

Bahamas DMR.