| Locating and finding fish can often be as simple as finding the water temperature certain fish prefer. However, this is only a guideline as many fish will be found outside their natural ranges due to foraging, migrations, weather, etc. Water temperature is a very important tool especially for offshore fishermen. Below is a chart showing several fish species and their preferred water temperatures. Oceantemp.com is a very economical and accurate sea surface temperature service that we find very helpful when planning a fishing trip. |
| Species | Lower Avoidance | Optimum Range (F) | Upper Avoidance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albacore | 59 |
62-65 |
66 |
| Atlantic Bonito | 60 |
65-75 |
80 |
| Atlantic Cod | 31 |
44-49 |
59 |
| Atlantic Mackerel | 40 |
45-55 |
70 |
| Bigeye Tuna | 52 |
62-74 |
80 |
| Blackfin Tuna | 65 |
70-75 |
82 |
| Black Marlin | 68 |
72-82 |
87 |
| Bluefin Tuna | 50 |
60-72 |
82 |
| Blue Fish | 50 |
66-72 |
84 |
| Blue Marlin | 70 |
74-82 |
88 |
| Dolphin (Mahi-Mahi) | 70 |
72-78 |
82 |
| Fluke | 56 |
62-66 |
72 |
| Haddock | 36 |
42-48 |
52 |
| Pollack | 33 |
40-50 |
60 |
| Sailfish | 68 |
72-82 |
88 |
| Seabass (Black) | - |
55-68 |
- |
| Skipjack Tuna | 50 |
58-62 |
70 |
| Striped Bass | 50 |
55-65 |
75 |
| Swordfish | 50 |
60-70 |
80 |
| Tautog (Blackfish) | 45 |
50-60 |
76 |
| Wahoo | - |
70-86 |
- |
| Weakfish | 45 |
56-68 |
78 |
| White Marlin | 65 |
68-78 |
80 |
| Winter Flounder | 35 |
48-52 |
64 |
| Yellowfin Tuna | 64 |
72-82 |
- |
