Grey Mullet
Kanae — grey mullet — are a fixture of North Island harbours, estuaries, and tidal rivers. Schools of them roll and leap across the Kaipara, Manukau, and Waikato systems year-round.
They're a genuine challenge on rod and line despite their abundance, which is exactly what draws a dedicated following. Commercially important since the 1880s, they're also one of the best eating fish in the sea — especially smoked.
Scientific Name: Mugil cephalus
Also known as Kanae, Kanae raukura, flathead mullet
- Torpedo-shaped body; olive-green to blue-grey back fading to silver sides and a white belly, with faint horizontal stripes along the flanks.
- Key ID feature: a thick, fleshy adipose eyelid (a vertical slit over the pupil) — absent on the similar yelloweyed mullet, which has a bright yellow iris instead.
- Two dorsal fins; the first carries four prominent spines. Large scales that dislodge easily.
- Commonly reach 50 cm; fish to 75–80 cm and over 4 kg exist in lightly fished areas, though 1 kg is more typical where fishing pressure is regular.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Introduced? No — native to New Zealand, though the country sits at the southern limit of their global range.
- Most abundant in the upper and central North Island: Northland, Auckland, Waikato, and Bay of Plenty. In summer they push south to Wellington and occasionally into Tasman Bay and the Nelson/Blenheim area.
- Primarily a marine and estuarine species — harbours, tidal flats, coastal embayments, and surf beaches — but they move well into freshwater, travelling up the Waikato River as far as Karapiro Dam and up the Waipa River to Te Kuiti.
- Must return to the sea to spawn; freshwater fish are always transient visitors rather than permanent residents.
Key Locations
- Kaipara Harbour — one of the most important commercial and recreational mullet fisheries in the country; large schools year-round.
- Manukau Harbour — major commercial fishery; tidal flats hold fish throughout the warmer months.
- Waikato River and Waipa River — fish travel far inland, reaching Karapiro Dam on the Waikato and Te Kuiti on the Waipa.
- Northland harbours and estuaries — the heart of grey mullet abundance in New Zealand, with fish present most of the year.
- Bay of Plenty coast and estuaries — summer concentrations as fish push south with warming water.
Specific Spots
- Shallow tidal flats and mudflats at mid to high tide — mullet follow the water in to feed on surface ooze and algae, then drop back to channels as the tide ebbs.
- Estuary edges and harbour margins where freshwater drains meet salt: the mixing zone concentrates organic material they feed on.
- Lower river reaches and tidal pools below weirs or dams — fish stack here when upstream movement is blocked, making them easier to locate.
- Surf beaches and coastal embayments in summer, particularly in Northland and the Bay of Plenty, where warm water pushes schools into the shallows.
Grey Mullet FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Grey Mullet?
Bread paste or fresh bread moulded firmly onto a small hook is the most consistently reported bait for rod-and-line mullet fishing in New Zealand, cheap, effective, and matches the fine organic material they naturally filter.
When is the best time to fish for Grey Mullet?
Year-round in Northland and the upper North Island, where water stays warm enough to keep fish active through winter. Summer (November–April) brings the best fishing in the central and lower North Island as fish move south with warming water.
How do you catch Grey Mullet?
Most grey mullet in New Zealand are taken by set-netting or drag-netting, particularly in the Kaipara and Manukau Harbours. Rod-and-line fishing is a minority pursuit but a rewarding one, work tidal flats and estuary edges on a rising tide with ultralight gear, fine fluorocarbon, and small bread or worm baits,...
What do Grey Mullet eat?
Grey mullet feed almost entirely by sifting bottom sediment and surface ooze for organic detritus, diatom algae, and fine plant material, not by chasing prey. This is why conventional lures rarely work; the fish aren't hunting anything you can imitate with a jig or minnow plug.
Where do Grey Mullet live?
Introduced? No, native to New Zealand, though the country sits at the southern limit of their global range. Most abundant in the upper and central North Island: Northland, Auckland, Waikato, and Bay of Plenty. In summer they push south to Wellington and occasionally into Tasman Bay and the Nelson/Blenheim area.
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