Norwegian record Atlantic mackerel: 3.47 kg

About Atlantic mackerel

The Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) is the summer fish of the Norwegian coast. It has a slim, torpedo-shaped body, a blue-green back crossed by wavy dark bars and a plain silvery-white belly. Small finlets line the tail stalk behind the rear dorsal fin and anal fin. They live in the upper 200 m of the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean. In Norway they move inshore from around April or May and stay into autumn, mainly from the Skagerrak to Trøndelag, though in warm years they travel far north. Mackerel form shoals and feed on zooplankton such as copepods and krill, plus fish fry. Spawning takes place in spring and summer, partly in the North Sea. Typical fish measure 30 to 40 cm and rarely exceed 50 cm, with a top weight around 3.5 kg. Feather rigs, spinners and trolled lures catch them easily, especially when shoals drive baitfish to the surface. Norwegian Red List 2021: Least Concern (LC).

Sources: Artsdatabanken, Store norske leksikon, Wikipedia

• Habitat: Saltvann
• Best month: Juli

See the species guide

Biggest Atlantic mackerel in FishComp

850 g (24 % of the record) by Tommy Eriksen. See the catch

How to register a Norwegian record

1. Norwegian sport-fishing records are registered with Villmarksliv, not with FishComp. Read the rules before you do anything else with the fish.
2. Records are based on weight and approved by a jury. You give the weight and length, where it was caught, the gear you used and any witnesses.
3. Keep your photos and notes from the catch. Logging it in FishComp does not register a record.