Although the blockage of a cell cycle by specific inhibitors of $Ca^{2+}/$calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMK-II) is well known, the activity profile of CaMK-II during the cell cycle in the absence of any direct effectors of the enzyme is unclear. The activity of native CaMK-II in NIH 3T3 cells was examined by the use of cell cycle-specific arresting and synchronizing methods. The total catalytic activity of CaMK-II in arrested cells was decreased about 30% in the M phase, whereas the $Ca^{2+}$-independent autonomous activity increased about 1.5-fold in the M phase and decreased about 50% at the G1/S transition. The in vivo phosphorylation level of CaMK-II was lowest at G1/S and highest in M. The CaMK-II protein level was unchanged during the cell cycle. When the cells were synchronized, the autonomous activity was increased only in M. These results indicate that the physiologically relevant portion of CaMK-II is activated only in M, and that the net activation of CaMK-II is required in mitosis.