The population variation of Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus niphonius) according to its major prey abundance was analyzed using monthly catches of coastal set net fisheries in the southern waters off Gyeongsangnam-do and eastern waters off Gyeongsangbuk-do of Korea from 2006 to 2019. The abundance of Spanish mackerel and its prey species fluctuated almost simultaneously with time lags of +2 to -2 months between the set net fisheries in the southern and eastern waters. The generalized additive model revealed that the abundance of Spanish mackerel was influenced by its prey species such as hairtail and anchovy in southern waters, and common mackerel and horse mackerel in eastern waters. The model deviance explained 49% and 42% of Spanish mackerel abundance in southern and eastern waters respectively. These results suggest that the abundance of Spanish mackerel is affected by seasonal migratory prey fish species in the coastal areas and can be linked to their northerly migration.