Grass sweetlip (grass emperor)
Grass emperor in South East Queensland: minimum 30 cm, 10 per person, no closed season. Rules checked 8 Oct 2026. Best months SEQ-wide: November to April.
Updated
Scientific name: Lethrinus laticaudis. Also called grass emperor, sweetlip and grassy.
| Scientific name | Lethrinus laticaudis |
|---|---|
| Other names | grass emperor, sweetlip, grassy |
| Limits shown for | Grass emperor |
| Minimum size | 30 cm |
| Bag (possession) limit | 10 per person |
| Closed season in SEQ | None |
| Best months (SEQ-wide) | Nov–Apr |
| Also in season | May–Oct |
| Best tide | No clear tide preference |
| Best light | Dawn and dusk |
| Habitats | The open bay and passages; offshore reefs |
Grass sweetlip size and bag limit in QLD
Grass emperor: min 30 cm, 10 per person. No closed season. Not the coral-reef "sweetlips" group (25 cm, 5 per species); do not confuse with spangled emperor (45 cm, 5).
Checked 8 Oct 2026 against the Queensland Government pages: size and possession limits and closed seasons.
Limits are possession limits: they count everything you hold, including any at home in the freezer. In yellow (conservation park) zones: max 2 lines and 2 hooks in total per angler. Green zones: no fishing. All QLD fishing rules
When to catch grass sweetlip in South East Queensland
October 2026: Grass sweetlip is in season across South East Queensland, though not at its peak.
| Where | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEQ-wide | January: peak season | February: peak season | March: peak season | April: peak season | May: in season | June: in season | July: in season | August: in season | September: in season | October: in season | November: peak season | December: peak season |
- peak season
- in season
- off season
- closed season for at least part of the month
Time of day: Dawn, dusk and night in the bay; daytime on the offshore reefs.
Weather: not fussy about wind; rain makes little difference.
Seasons partly come from Coastwatch report mentions, not catch numbers.
| Area | How common | Best | Also in season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pumicestone Passage & Bribie | Main area | Nov–Apr | May–Oct |
| Northern Moreton Bay | Also caught | Nov–Apr | May–Oct |
| Western Moreton Bay | Main area | Nov–Apr | May–Oct |
| Brisbane River | Occasional | No season given | – |
| Southern Moreton Bay | Main area | Nov–Apr | May–Oct |
| Straddie & Jumpinpin | Also caught | Nov–Apr | May–Oct |
| Gold Coast | Occasional | No season given | – |
| Offshore Sunshine Coast | Main area | all year (local season) | – |
Not in our guide for Noosa, Sunshine Coast, Moreton Island, Offshore Moreton and Offshore Gold Coast.
Where to catch grass sweetlip in SEQ
Moreton Bay inshore reefs and weed/rubble: Redcliffe and Scarborough reefs, Peel, Green and Mud islands, the bay artificial reefs. Offshore all year on the shallow reefs: Caloundra 3-9 Mile, Currimundi and Murphys reefs, Noosa North and Sunshine reefs.
Catch Signal forecast areas that rate grass sweetlip: Caloundra & northern Pumicestone Passage, Bribie Island & southern Pumicestone Passage, Redcliffe Peninsula & Deception Bay, Bramble Bay, Pine River & Sandgate, Central bay & Moreton Island west, Wynnum, Manly & Wellington Point, Cleveland, Peel & Straddie west, Victoria Point, Redland Bay & bay islands, Jumpinpin, Jacobs Well & Pimpama, Ocean side of Straddie & Moreton, Offshore: Mooloolaba to Caloundra.
| Spot | Area | Tide times |
|---|---|---|
| Reef Point / North Reef | Redcliffe Peninsula and Deception Bay | Scarborough |
| Shorncliffe Pier | Bramble Bay, Pine River and Sandgate | Shorncliffe |
| Wynnum Jetty (Pandanus Beach) | Wynnum, Manly and Wellington Point | Manly |
| Cleveland Point | Cleveland, Peel and Straddie west | Cleveland Point |
| Victoria Point jetty | Victoria Point, Redland Bay and bay islands | Victoria Point |
| Mudjimba (Old Woman) Island | Offshore: Mooloolaba to Caloundra | Mooloolaba |
| Tangalooma Point | Central bay and Moreton Island west | Tangalooma |
| North Stradbroke Artificial Reef | Ocean side of Straddie and Moreton | Brisbane Bar |
Picked because the water each spot reaches suits grass sweetlip (our habitat match), not from catch reports. Each spot links to its place on the area page; tide times are for the place our forecast reads for that spot.
How to catch grass sweetlip: best baits, lures and rig
Baits
- Squid and fresh fish strips
- Prawns
- Pilchard pieces
- Slowly presented floating baits
Lures
- Lightly weighted soft plastics and prawn imitations
Grass sweetlip rig
Light line and the smallest sinker possible in the bay (as for inshore snapper); paternoster on the offshore reefs.
Good to know about grass sweetlip
In the bay numbers build as the water warms (Nov-Apr) and drop away Jun-Sep; on the Sunshine Coast reefs they are reported all year.
Open in the forecast
See grass sweetlip in the Catch Signal app: seasons for the area you fish, closed-season warnings and the best days this week.
Sources
- Queensland Government: size and possession limits for tidal waters (last updated 25 Sep 2026; checked 8 Oct 2026)
- Queensland Government fish species guide (entries updated Mar-May 2026)
- Coastwatch weekly reports (seasons from report mentions, not catch numbers; we use the facts only)
- Catch Signal’s own Redcliffe Peninsula notes (from local fishing columns and reports)
Rules are short, dated summaries: always check the official pages before you keep a fish. Species notes are in our own words from the sources listed.