Atlantic Chub Mackerel
Scomber colias
Also called Chub.
How to tell it
Small mackerel with wavy lines on the back AND dusky spotting below the midline; big eye.
Often mistaken for
Two fish that get called Atlantic chub mackerel, and what gives each one away.
- Atlantic mackerel: Clean unspotted belly, bolder bars. Tell them apart
- Spanish mackerel: Gold spots, larger. Tell them apart
Rules for
Every state
| State | Size | Bag | Season | Today |
|---|
Not specifically regulated in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida (Atlantic), Florida (Gulf), Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia: each state’s rule for unlisted species applies there (on its page).
State records
| State | Weight | When, where | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 2 lb 5.28 oz | 2021 · Fishers Island Sound | CT DEEP Saltwater State Record Fish (Harvested) · checked 2026-08-23 |
| Rhode Island | 1.52 lb | 2022 · Point Judith | RI DEM Saltwater Sportfish Records · checked 2026-08-23 |
On the table
Rich and dark — grill or smoke it fresh.
In the app
Point the camera at an Atlantic chub mackerel and the name appears before you take the picture, with these rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed, and every catch goes in the log.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask about Atlantic chub mackerel
How do you tell Atlantic chub mackerel from Atlantic mackerel?
Atlantic Chub Mackerel: Small mackerel with wavy lines on the back AND dusky spotting below the midline; big eye. Atlantic mackerel: clean unspotted belly, bolder bars.
What is the record Atlantic chub mackerel?
2 lb 5.28 oz in Connecticut (2021), Fishers Island Sound. Other states’ records are in the table.