What water temperature do greater amberjack prefer?

Greater Amberjack (Seriola dumerili) prefer water temperatures of 66–82°F, with peak activity in the 70–78°F range. They feed actively across the preferred range and concentrate at temperature breaks where two water masses meet. Threshold values sourced from NOAA FishWatch.

What temperature is too cold for greater amberjack?

Greater Amberjack actively depart water below 60°F. Below this threshold the fish will move to deeper or warmer water within hours.

Where is greater amberjack found at peak?

Greater Amberjack reach peak SST overlap in Long Bay & Myrtle Beach Offshore, Charleston Offshore & Georgia Bight, Northeast Florida Offshore & St. Augustine, Florida Middle Grounds & Tampa Offshore, Destin & Pensacola Offshore. Drop big jigs and live blue runners to wrecks, rigs, and reefs. Amberjack are aggressive — they'll hit anything that looks alive. Target current-facing edges of structure.

Sea surface temperature guide

Greater Amberjack sea surface temperature guide.

Seriola dumeriliBottomAgency-reported threshold data

Greater amberjack are the iconic deep-structure fight fish — wrecks, rigs, and ledges from the Carolinas through the Gulf. SST is less predictive for AJ than for pelagics; bottom structure is the key locator.

SST threshold gauge

The water temperature ranges that determine where greater amberjack hold and feed. Hard thresholds (dashed lines) are values outside which fish actively depart or become inactive.

Outside toleranceSuboptimalGoodPeak·Dashed line = hard threshold

Optimal range70–78°F

Preferred range66–82°F

Avoid below60°F

Avoid above86°F

Threshold source (Agency-reported) →

Depth profile & SST reliability

Typical depth

60–500 feet

SST as locator

Moderate — SST is a partial signal

Amberjack hold over deep structure and respond to current edges. Surface SST is a weaker signal than for pelagics.

Current systems & structure

Temperature breaks

Amberjack key on bait pushed onto wrecks and rigs by current. Spring and fall current breaks concentrate fish.

Best zones for greater amberjack — May

Zones where typical May SST falls in greater amberjack's preferred range.

Zone-by-zone calendar

For each zone where greater amberjack are present, the chart overlays the zone's typical monthly SST range with the species' preferred and optimal ranges. Months where the bands overlap are when fish are in range.

South Atlantic

Long Bay & Myrtle Beach OffshoreLittle River SC · Myrtle Beach SC

Peak overlapFishable (preferred range)Outside preferred range

Best months

April, May, June, October, November

Month	Zone SST	Status
Jan	60–68°F	Fishable
Feb	58–66°F	Outside
Mar	62–70°F	Fishable
Apr	68–76°F	Peak
Maynow	72–80°F	Peak
Jun	76–84°F	Peak
Jul	80–86°F	Fishable
Aug	80–86°F	Fishable
Sep	78–84°F	Fishable
Oct	72–80°F	Peak
Nov	66–74°F	Peak
Dec	62–70°F	Fishable

Charleston Offshore & Georgia BightCharleston SC · Hilton Head SC

Peak overlapFishable (preferred range)Outside preferred range

Best months

March, April, May, October, November, December

Month	Zone SST	Status
Jan	62–70°F	Fishable
Feb	60–68°F	Fishable
Mar	64–72°F	Peak
Apr	70–76°F	Peak
Maynow	74–80°F	Peak
Jun	78–84°F	Fishable
Jul	80–86°F	Fishable
Aug	80–86°F	Fishable
Sep	78–84°F	Fishable
Oct	74–80°F	Peak
Nov	68–76°F	Peak
Dec	64–72°F	Peak

Northeast Florida Offshore & St. AugustineMayport FL · St. Augustine FL

Peak overlapFishable (preferred range)Outside preferred range

Best months

January, March, April, May, October, November, December

Month	Zone SST	Status
Jan	64–72°F	Peak
Feb	64–70°F	Fishable
Mar	66–74°F	Peak
Apr	72–78°F	Peak
Maynow	76–82°F	Peak
Jun	80–84°F	Fishable
Jul	82–86°F	Outside
Aug	82–86°F	Outside
Sep	80–84°F	Fishable
Oct	76–82°F	Peak
Nov	70–76°F	Peak
Dec	66–72°F	Peak

Gulf of Mexico

Florida Middle Grounds & Tampa OffshoreTampa FL · St. Petersburg FL

Peak overlapFishable (preferred range)Outside preferred range

Best months

April, May, October, November

Month	Zone SST	Status
Jan	60–68°F	Fishable
Feb	60–66°F	Outside
Mar	62–70°F	Fishable
Apr	70–76°F	Peak
Maynow	74–80°F	Peak
Jun	80–84°F	Fishable
Jul	82–86°F	Outside
Aug	82–86°F	Outside
Sep	80–84°F	Fishable
Oct	74–80°F	Peak
Nov	68–76°F	Peak
Dec	62–70°F	Fishable

Destin & Pensacola OffshoreDestin FL · Pensacola FL

Peak overlapFishable (preferred range)Outside preferred range

Best months

March, April, May, October, November

Month	Zone SST	Status
Jan	60–68°F	Fishable
Feb	60–66°F	Outside
Mar	64–72°F	Peak
Apr	70–78°F	Peak
Maynow	74–80°F	Peak
Jun	80–84°F	Fishable
Jul	82–86°F	Outside
Aug	82–86°F	Outside
Sep	80–84°F	Fishable
Oct	72–78°F	Peak
Nov	66–74°F	Peak
Dec	62–70°F	Fishable

Alabama & Mississippi Canyon OffshoreOrange Beach AL · Dauphin Island AL

Peak overlapFishable (preferred range)Outside preferred range

Best months

March, April, May, October, November, December

Month	Zone SST	Status
Jan	62–70°F	Fishable
Feb	62–68°F	Fishable
Mar	66–72°F	Peak
Apr	72–80°F	Peak
Maynow	76–82°F	Peak
Jun	80–84°F	Fishable
Jul	82–86°F	Outside
Aug	82–86°F	Outside
Sep	80–84°F	Fishable
Oct	74–80°F	Peak
Nov	68–76°F	Peak
Dec	64–72°F	Peak

Louisiana Deepwater & RigsVenice LA · Grand Isle LA

Peak overlapFishable (preferred range)Outside preferred range

Best months

January, March, April, May, October, November, December

Month	Zone SST	Status
Jan	64–72°F	Peak
Feb	64–70°F	Fishable
Mar	68–74°F	Peak
Apr	72–78°F	Peak
Maynow	76–82°F	Peak
Jun	80–84°F	Fishable
Jul	82–86°F	Outside
Aug	82–86°F	Outside
Sep	80–84°F	Fishable
Oct	76–82°F	Peak
Nov	70–78°F	Peak
Dec	66–74°F	Peak

Texas Offshore & Flower Garden BanksGalveston TX · Freeport TX

Peak overlapFishable (preferred range)Outside preferred range

Best months

January, March, April, May, October, November, December

Month	Zone SST	Status
Jan	64–72°F	Peak
Feb	64–70°F	Fishable
Mar	68–74°F	Peak
Apr	72–78°F	Peak
Maynow	76–82°F	Peak
Jun	80–84°F	Fishable
Jul	80–86°F	Fishable
Aug	80–86°F	Fishable
Sep	78–84°F	Fishable
Oct	74–82°F	Peak
Nov	70–78°F	Peak
Dec	66–74°F	Peak

Conservation & regulations

GMFMC / SAFMC / NOAA

Overfished (Gulf) — under recovery plan. Closed seasons during spawning periods. Tight bag and size limits. Verify current rule before harvest.

Stock assessment source →

Drop big jigs and live blue runners to wrecks, rigs, and reefs. Amberjack are aggressive — they'll hit anything that looks alive. Target current-facing edges of structure.

Sources

SST threshold data is summarized from agency and research sources. Year-to-year ocean conditions vary; verify current SST imagery before each trip.

See live SST for your offshore zone.

Bield: Fish overlays NOAA CoastWatch SST imagery on your chartplotter view, highlights the temperature breaks that match greater amberjack thresholds, and alerts you when your home zone hits the 70–78°F window.

Download Bield: Fish

This page shows climatological SST patterns for planning purposes. Live SST data is available in the Bield: Fish app via NOAA CoastWatch. Charts on this page reflect typical year SST climatology — actual conditions vary.

All species SST guides →