Blackfin Tuna

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Blackfin Tuna

Species Information

Scientific Name:Thunnus atlanticus
Common Names:blackfin, Bermuda tuna, blackfinned albacore, blackfin tuna, black fin
Environment:Offshore
Ideal Temp:>= 68°F (20°C)

About Blackfin Tuna

Blackfin tuna is the smallest tuna species in the Thunnus genus, generally growing to a maximum of 100 centimetres (39 in) in length and weighing 21 kg (46 lbs). Blackfin have oval shaped bodies, black backs with a slight yellow on the finlets, and have yellow on the sides of their body.

Blackfin are only found in the western Atlantic from Cape Cod to Brazil.
These tuna do not consume as much fish in their diet as other tunas, and will eat the tiny larvae of stomatopods (king shrimp or mantis shrimp), true shrimp, and crabs, as well as small fish. They do, of course, also eat juvenile and adult fish and squid. They are a short-lived, fast-growing species; a 5 year old fish would be considered old. They reach sexual maturity at two years old, and spawn in the open sea during the summer.

Blackfin tuna are a warmer-water fish, preferring water temperatures over 68°F (20°C). What they lack in size, they make up for in numbers and willingness to bite. There are scattered records of blackfin tuna occurring as far north as Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, but the usual range is from North Carolina to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, including the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.

Blackfin Tuna Fishing

World Record:22.39 kg (49 lb 6 oz) Marathon, Florida , USA
# Fish Caught:137401 documented in database.
Earliest Record:4/26/1933 12:00:00 AM and located at 19.45000, -80.69200.
Latest Record:1/29/2026 6:29:55 PM and located at 26.86383, -80.05500.
Common Techniques:Casting, Chunking, Fly, Jigging, Trolling
Popular Lure Types:Flies, Jigs, Plugs, Spoons, Topwater, Trolling
Fishing Spots:1384 Blackfin Tuna fishing spots.


Latest Blackfin Tuna Fishing Reports and Spots

Weekend Fishing Outlook (5/15-5/17/26) - 5/14/2026 6:59:44 AM

OFFSHORE- Fishing remained pretty good this week offshore (Didn't quite match last week; but still pretty solid). Dolphin reports slowed a bit w (View)

Memorial Day Weekend FIshing Outlook (5/22-5/25/26) - 5/21/2026 8:18:23 AM

OFFSHORE- A combination of less than ideal ocean conditions and a holiday weekend coming up has kept offshore reports to a minimum this week. Th (View)

Weekend Fishing Outlook (5/29-5/31/26) - 5/28/2026 12:00:00 AM

OFFSHORE- Reports have been a little slim to start the week; though things are looking up heading into the weekend. Dolphin fishing has slowed d (View)

Tunas and a Sailfish - 5/13/2026 6:48:48 PM

Old Friends on board the bite me today. Originally supposed to go on Tuesday but it was breezy and we moved it to today. got a few blackfin tuna (View)

Dolphins and a Blackfin - 5/23/2026 6:59:15 PM

New friends on board the bite me today from Hickory NC They have their own outboard but decided to join us today. We caught a mess of dolphins. (View)

Dec 1 2020 - 12/1/2020 8:44:13 AM

Early winter time fishing has kicked into high gear with the recent full moon Wahoo bite. Sailfish are also showing up in greater numbers with (View)

March 24 - 3/25/2026 12:16:59 PM

Great day caching yellowtail snapper blackfin tuna and nice kingfish!! (View)

Weekend Fishing Outlook (4/10-4/12/26) - 10/4/2012 1:12:00 PM

OFFSHORE- Pretty brutal looking weekend coming up. Strong winds will have the ocean just about un-fishable. Sailfish bite especially headed to t (View)

Good fishing coming up! April and May - 3/16/2026 2:14:43 PM

Spring is one of my favorite times to fish. It is some of the best meat fishing we have all year We have availability for April and May. Traditi (View)

Weekend Fishing OUtlook (3/13-3/15/26) - 3/12/2026 5:28:25 PM

OFFSHORE- Bit of a bumpy forecast for the upcoming weekend. Conditions look good for a strong sailfish bite on Friday and Saturday. A scattered (View)