Single-zone SST guide
Swordfish water temperature at Georges Bank.
Xiphias gladiusBillfishMay: good
Typical May SST in Georges Bank is 50–58°F. Swordfish prefer 50–80°F with peak activity in 64–76°F.
Swordfish SST threshold
Outside toleranceSuboptimalGoodPeak·Dashed line = hard threshold
Year-round overlap with Georges Bank SST
Where the Georges Bank typical monthly SST band overlaps with swordfish's preferred and optimal ranges, the species is in range.
Peak overlapFishable (preferred range)Outside preferred range
Best months
June, July, August, September
| Month | Zone SST | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40–46°F | Outside |
| Feb | 40–46°F | Outside |
| Mar | 42–48°F | Outside |
| Apr | 44–52°F | Fishable |
| Maynow | 50–58°F | Fishable |
| Jun | 58–66°F | Peak |
| Jul | 62–70°F | Peak |
| Aug | 64–72°F | Peak |
| Sep | 60–68°F | Peak |
| Oct | 54–62°F | Fishable |
| Nov | 48–56°F | Fishable |
| Dec | 42–50°F | Outside |
Best months
July, August, September
Daytime drops to 1500+ feet on canyon structure — bathymetry over SST. Nighttime drift fishing on the surface in 64–76°F water with squid baits. Gulf Stream edge at night is the classic Mid-Atlantic pattern.
Verify with current SST imagery
These ranges are climatological norms. Actual SST varies year over year — get an SST satellite shot the day before you run.
Live SST imagery for Georges Bank.
Bield: Fish overlays current NOAA CoastWatch SST onto your chartplotter view and alerts you when Georges Bank hits swordfish's optimal 64–76°F window.