Skip to content

Search

Popular pages

How to catch Thinlip grey mullet

Chelon ramada (Risso, 1827)

About Thinlip grey mullet fishing

The thinlip grey mullet is an elongate coastal fish belonging to the family Mugilidae, featuring a flattened head, small mouth, and large scales with a steely blue dorsal profile and paler underparts. Growing up to 70 centimetres and a maximum weight near 2.9 kilograms, typical adult specimens commonly measure around 35 centimetres. This catadromous and pelagic species inhabits shallow marine coastal waters, brackish lagoons, estuaries, and the lower reaches of rivers, frequently entering soft-bottom habitats down to 20 metres depth. Adults travel in active schools, feeding primarily on epiphytic algae, organic detritus, and small benthic or planktonic organisms. Spawning takes place out at sea near the coast during the cooler autumn and winter months before returning to inshore zones.

  • Difficulty

    Medium

  • Average size

    35 cm TL

  • Market value

    Medium

  • Habitat

    Freshwater, Brackish, Saltwater

  • Season

    Spring, Summer, Autumn

  • Also known as

    Grey mullet, Haarder, Mowel, Thinlip mullet, Thin-lipped grey mullet

Thinlip grey mullet

Forked Caudal

Forked caudal fin shape characteristic of fast-swimming pelagic grey mullets.

Abdominal Pelvics

Abdominal pelvic fins positioned well back along the belly.

Pectoral Spot

Distinctive dark spot at the upper base of the pectoral fin.

Thinlip grey mullet fishing facts

Characteristics

  • Typical size

    35 cm TL (max 70 cm TL )

  • Typical weight

    0.5 kg (max 2.9 kg )

  • Preferred temperature

    9.7–20.1 °C

  • Depth

    10–20 m

  • Longevity

    10 years

  • Body shape

    Fusiform / Normal

  • Commercial?

  • Vulnerability score

    41.7

Best hours

  • Dawn

    First light

    Active

  • Morning

    After sunrise

    Peak

  • Midday

    High sun

    Low

  • Afternoon

    Late day

    Peak

  • Dusk

    Last light

    Active

  • Night

    After dark

    Low

When to fish for Thinlip grey mullet

01
January
02
February
03
March
04
April
05
May
06
June
07
July
08
August
09
September
10 Now
October
11
November
12
December

How to catch Thinlip grey mullet

Tips for catching Thinlip grey mullet

Targeting thinlip mullet requires a subtle approach because these cautious fish feed delicately on detritus and fine algae in shallow estuarine margins and harbour walls. Float fishing with light tackle is the most popular and effective technique, using fine lines and small, sharp hooks hidden inside pieces of soft bread flake or enriched paste. Groundbaiting with moistened bread crumbs or flour mixed with bran helps draw schooling fish into your swim and keeps them actively feeding near the surface or mid-water. When a fish takes the bait, strike smoothly to avoid tearing the hook from its soft, delicate lips, and play the fish patiently using a responsive drag to prevent it from escaping during sudden runs. Late spring and early autumn mornings offer the most consistent sport as shoals move in with the rising tide to forage over shallow mud flats.

Other names for Thinlip grey mullet

Local and alternate names anglers use for Thinlip grey mullet.

  • Thinlip grey mullet
  • Thin-lipped grey mullet
  • Thinlip mullet
  • Mowel
  • Haarder
  • Grey mullet

Best equipment to catch Thinlip grey mullet

Compare fishing methods for Thinlip grey mullet — sized kit for each technique.

Note: Typical fish is 0.5 kg Our algorithm will suggest the best equipment for you based on this weight.

Best lures and baits for Thinlip grey mullet

Ranked lures and natural baits from every method, best first.

How Thinlip grey mullet migrates — Catadromous

Grows in fresh or brackish water and migrates to the sea to spawn. Estuaries and lower rivers fire when adults drop downstream.

How Thinlip grey mullet migrates — Catadromous 1. Eggs: Spawned out at sea. 2. Larvae: Drift with the currents towards the coast. 3. Juveniles: Enter estuaries, and many move on into fresh water. 4. Adults: Feed and grow in rivers, lakes and estuaries, often for years. 5. Spawners: Head downstream and out to sea to spawn.
Fresh water Estuary Sea

1 Eggs

Sea

Spawned out at sea.

2 Larvae

→ Estuary

Drift with the currents towards the coast.

3 Juveniles

→ Fresh water

Enter estuaries, and many move on into fresh water.

4 Adults

Fresh water

Feed and grow in rivers, lakes and estuaries, often for years.

5 Spawners

→ Sea

Head downstream and out to sea to spawn.

Many only reach estuaries and the lower river; eels travel far inland.

Hover or tap a number to read each stage.

Diet and behavior of Thinlip grey mullet

Prey and predators of Thinlip grey mullet

Prey is what Thinlip grey mullet eats. Predators are the animals that eat it.

That is how it feeds, and how it is hunted.

Prey

What it eats

Predators

What hunts it

Birds

  • Ardea cinerea juv./adults
  • Phalacrocorax carbo juv./adults

Where Thinlip grey mullet lives

Pelagic over the continental shelf — coastal open water, not the deep ocean.

Habitats
Freshwater, Brackish, Saltwater
Depth zone
Epipelagic
Sunlight · 10–20 m
Water column
Open water
Does not use the seabed

Where this species lives

Where to fish for Thinlip grey mullet

Mapped fishing spots where Thinlip grey mullet is recorded — open a pin for access and methods.

Cala en Bosc

Illes BalearsIlles BalearsSpain

s'Estany Gran

Illes BalearsIlles BalearsSpain

Baie de Marseille

Bouches-du-RhôneProvence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurFrance

Port Manec'h

FinistèreBretagneFrance

Grand Étier

VendéePays de la LoireFrance

Porto di Santa Margherita

VeneziaVenetoItaly

Portishead Quays Marina

North SomersetEnglandUnited Kingdom

Restonguet Creek

CornwallEnglandUnited Kingdom

Carrick Roads

CornwallEnglandUnited Kingdom

Padstow Bay

CornwallEnglandUnited Kingdom