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80,792-acre Baie de Seine. North Central France saltwater fishing map with official SHOM 100 m bathymetry, source-qualified fishing spots, official regional fish evidence, seasonal forage guidance, public shore-use context and current-rule links. The Seine estuary and eastern Normandy bay, an extensively surveyed nursery and mixed sand, channel and plume system. This page covers the north central angler-scale survey window. The water tops out around 128 ft. The depth chart comes from Shom (Service hydrographique et océanographique de la Marine) bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Traced from the shoreline, Baie de Seine - North Central runs 80,743 acres with 44.9 miles of edge. At index 1.1 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. 0% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Call it 13.8 mi long by 13.1 mi wide at the broadest reach. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Baie de Seine - North East, 11 mi east of here.
Baie de Seine — North Central, France : carte SHOM officielle jusqu’à 39 m; spots pour bar commun, sole commune. Pour préparer la pêche, jamais pour naviguer. Les profondeurs et les points de structure proviennent de la grille bathymétrique officielle du Shom. Les données servent à préparer la pêche et ne doivent jamais être utilisées pour la navigation.
Regional occurrence supports a search target, not equal abundance, child-specific catch rate, retention permission or a promised catch. Current national, EU, regional, protected-area and species rules always control. The roster may combine exact-water monitoring with habitat-filtered official regional evidence; it does not imply that every species is equally abundant throughout the mapped section.
| Species | Evidence basis | Count / date |
|---|---|---|
| bar commun (European Seabass) | official species listing | — |
| sole commune (Common Sole) | official species listing | — |
| flet commun (European Flounder) | official species listing | — |
| plie commune (European Plaice) | official species listing | — |
| merlan (Whiting) | official species listing | — |
| orphie (Garfish) | official species listing | — |
| maquereau commun (Atlantic Mackerel) | official species listing | — |
| mulet lippu (Thick-lipped Grey Mullet) | official species listing | — |
| mulet cabot (Flathead Grey Mullet) | official species listing | — |
| barbue (Brill) | official species listing | — |
| raie bouclée (Thornback Ray) | official species listing | — |
| anguille européenne (European Eel) | official species listing | — |
| saumon atlantique (Atlantic Salmon) | official species listing | — |
Official species-evidence source.
Spring puts european seabass in skinny water — 3 to 25 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 2 to 30 ft, wintering in 10 to 55 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A surface lure or a paddle-tail soft plastic covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Paddle-tail soft plastic, Shallow minnow plug |
| Summer | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Surface lure, Paddle-tail soft plastic |
| Fall | 4 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Slim metal lure, Minnow plug |
| Winter | 10 to 55 ft | midday | open water | Slow soft-plastic shad, Suspending minnow |
Come spring, look for common sole tight to the bank in 6 to 30 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 30 ft; the winter hold is 20 to 70 ft. If you only fish one area, make it SHOM-grid channel edge: a channel edge around 69 ft that scores good in winter. Best bite is the evening. A light rolling-lead rig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 6 to 30 ft | dusk | open water | Tiny bottom jig |
| Summer | 3 to 30 ft | dusk | open water | Light rolling-lead rig |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dusk | open water | Compact bottom jig |
| Winter | 20 to 70 ft | night | SHOM-grid channel edge (69 ft) |
Spring european flounder on Baie de Seine - North Central hold shallow, usually 5 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 6 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 50 ft. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a bottom jig with spinner blade.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | open water | Small bucktail dragged on bottom |
| Summer | 6 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Bottom jig with spinner blade |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dusk | open water | Compact bottom jig |
| Winter | 15 to 50 ft | midday | open water | Small bottom jig |
In spring, european plaice run shallow here, mostly 8 to 35 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 6 to 40 ft before dropping to 25 to 80 ft for winter. Winter european plaice concentrate at SHOM-grid channel edge, a good-rated channel edge around 69 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a light spooned bottom rig or a beaded trace most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 35 ft | dusk | open water | Beaded flowing trace |
| Summer | 6 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Light spooned bottom rig, Beaded trace |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk | open water | Beaded bottom trace |
| Winter | 25 to 80 ft | midday | SHOM-grid channel edge (69 ft) |
In spring, whiting run shallow here, mostly 15 to 55 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 20 to 70 ft before dropping to 15 to 70 ft for winter. Winter whiting concentrate at SHOM-grid channel edge, a good-rated channel edge around 69 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a small vertical jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 55 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid channel edge (69 ft) | Small silver jig, Two-hook feather rig |
| Summer | 20 to 70 ft | dawn | SHOM-grid channel edge (69 ft) | Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 60 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid channel edge (69 ft) | Small silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 15 to 70 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid channel edge (69 ft) | Compact vertical jig |
Start shallow in spring: garfish sit in 1 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 2 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 60 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a slim casting spoon or a surface-skipping fly until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 15 ft | dawn & midday | open water | Slim silver spoon, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 2 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Slim casting spoon, Surface-skipping fly |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Weighted slim spoon, Small silver jig |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | open water |
Baie de Seine - North Central also holds atlantic mackerel (15 to 80 ft in summer), thick-lipped grey mullet (1 to 18 ft in summer), flathead grey mullet (1 to 22 ft in summer), brill (6 to 50 ft in summer), thornback ray (10 to 65 ft in summer), european eel (6 to 28 ft in summer), atlantic salmon (20 to 70 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
7 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deepest basin, around 126 ft, is the deepest of them.
No official 2025 EEA designated bathing-water point matched within 400 metres of this SHOM-grid shoreline. This is an access-evidence gap, not a statement that public fishing access does not exist. Verify local fishing rights, land ownership, posted restrictions, protected areas, tidal and surf safety, and municipal permission before entry.
Private land and private launches need the owner's permission — please ask first.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for France waters are set by the Légifrance (current French recreational sea-fishing minimum sizes) — and special regulations can apply to Baie de Seine - North Central specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish. French recreational sea-fishing rules combine current national and European species measures with façade, prefectural, marine-protected-area, harbour and local access controls. Check live minimum sizes, quotas, seasonal or method closures, marking requirements and any no-take zone before every trip. A SHOM contour, fishing-spot marker or designated bathing-water lead is planning context only and never permission to fish, retain a catch, park, launch or enter restricted shore or port property.
Check the official France fishing regulations →
French Ministry for Ecological Transition — recreational sea fishing →
Check special-area and water-specific rules →
Check official shore-access information →
Baie de Seine - North Central is about 128 ft (39 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from Shom (Service hydrographique et océanographique de la Marine) bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Official coastal monitoring from Ifremer CGFS and coastal estuary monitoring regional survey evidence informs the european seabass, common sole, european flounder, european plaice, whiting, garfish, atlantic mackerel, thick-lipped grey mullet, flathead grey mullet, brill, thornback ray, european eel, atlantic salmon roster for Baie de Seine - North Central. The mixed roster combines exact-water records where available with habitat-filtered regional evidence; not every species is documented at this exact water, and it is not a promise of equal abundance or a catch on a particular trip.
SHOM-grid channel edge is the top-rated area: a channel edge in about 69 ft of water that rates good for whiting in winter. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For european seabass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Baie de Seine - North Central is regulated by the Légifrance (current French recreational sea-fishing minimum sizes). Check the official France regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Baie de Seine - North East 11 mi · Baie de Seine - North West 11 mi · Baie de Seine - Middle Central 12 mi · Baie de Seine - Middle East 16 mi · Baie de Seine - Middle West 16 mi · East Cotentin Coast - North West 4 21 mi · Baie de Seine - South Central 22 mi · Baie de Seine - South East 23 mi · Alabaster Coast - South West 1 23 mi · Baie de Seine - South West 23 mi · East Cotentin Coast - Middle West 4 24 mi · East Cotentin Coast - South West 4 29 mi
See how Baie de Seine - North Central stacks up: best european flounder lakes in France · best garfish lakes in France · best european seabass lakes in France · best common sole lakes in France
Browse all France fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.