Single-zone SST guide
Yellowfin Tuna water temperature at Georges Bank.
Thunnus albacaresTunaMay: absent
Typical May SST in Georges Bank is 50–58°F. Yellowfin Tuna prefer 65–86°F with peak activity in 72–79°F.
Yellowfin Tuna 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 yellowfin tuna's preferred and optimal ranges, the species is in range.
Peak overlapFishable (preferred range)Outside preferred range
Best months
Fishable: 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 | Outside |
| Maynow | 50–58°F | Outside |
| Jun | 58–66°F | Outside |
| Jul | 62–70°F | Fishable |
| Aug | 64–72°F | Fishable |
| Sep | 60–68°F | Fishable |
| Oct | 54–62°F | Outside |
| Nov | 48–56°F | Outside |
| Dec | 42–50°F | Outside |
Best months
August
Find a warm core eddy or canyon edge with a 2–4°F break. Troll cedar plugs, ballyhoo, and Green Machines through the warm side. Chunk butterfish at canyon edges overnight on the temperature line.
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 yellowfin tuna's optimal 72–79°F window.