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52,824-acre Cherbourg and Cap de la Hague. 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. Cherbourg roadstead and the Cap de la Hague approaches, with breakwaters, reefs and powerful Channel current. This page covers the north central angler-scale survey window. The water tops out around 217 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.
The outline encloses 52,866 acres, worked by 36.4 miles of shoreline. A shoreline index of 1.1 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. Roughly 1% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 10.9 mi long by 10 mi wide at the broadest reach. If the bite dies, Cherbourg and Cap de la Hague - North East is 8 mi to the east.
Cherbourg and Cap de la Hague — North Central, France : carte SHOM officielle jusqu’à 66 m; spots pour bar commun, maquereau commun. 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 | — |
| maquereau commun (Atlantic Mackerel) | official species listing | — |
| lieu jaune (Atlantic Pollock) | official species listing | — |
| lieu noir (Saithe (Coalfish)) | official species listing | — |
| cabillaud (Atlantic Cod) | official species listing | — |
| lingue (Ling) | official species listing | — |
| orphie (Garfish) | official species listing | — |
| barbue (Brill) | official species listing | — |
| raie bouclée (Thornback Ray) | official species listing | — |
| sole commune (Common Sole) | official species listing | — |
| mulet lippu (Thick-lipped Grey Mullet) | official species listing | — |
| mulet cabot (Flathead Grey Mullet) | official species listing | — |
| anguille européenne (European Eel) | official species listing | — |
Official species-evidence source.
Come spring, look for european seabass tight to the bank in 3 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 2 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 55 ft. Start at Shoreline point. It's a point holding about 37 ft of water and rates good come fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A surface lure or a paddle-tail soft plastic is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid flat (22 ft) | Paddle-tail soft plastic, Shallow minnow plug |
| Summer | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid flat (22 ft) | Surface lure, Paddle-tail soft plastic |
| Fall | 4 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (37 ft) | Slim metal lure, Minnow plug |
| Winter | 10 to 55 ft | midday | open water | Slow soft-plastic shad, Suspending minnow |
Start shallow in spring: atlantic mackerel sit in 5 to 45 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 15 to 80 ft, and winter fish settle into 30 to 120 ft. The spot to know is Sharp break, a drop-off in about 100 ft of water that rates good for atlantic mackerel in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a feather rig or a small vertical jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (37 ft) | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 15 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid current seam (87 ft) | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (37 ft) | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 30 to 120 ft | midday | Sharp break (100 ft) | Small deep jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: atlantic pollock in 8 to 100 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 12 to 150 ft before dropping to 35 to 217 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shoreline point, a point in about 37 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic pollock in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a surface plug or a baitfish swimbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 100 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (37 ft) | Sandeel-pattern lure, Soft-plastic shad |
| Summer | 12 to 150 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (37 ft) | Surface plug, Baitfish swimbait |
| Fall | 15 to 160 ft | dawn | Shoreline point (37 ft) | Metal jig, Minnow plug |
| Winter | 35 to 217 ft | midday | Sharp break (100 ft) | Slow metal jig, Weighted soft plastic |
Come spring, look for saithe (coalfish) tight to the bank in 15 to 160 ft. Expect a summer slide to 21 to 217 ft, then a winter hold in 31 to 217 ft. Start at SHOM-grid current seam. It's a current seam holding about 87 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A speed jig or a heavy paddletail is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 160 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid current seam (87 ft) | Slim metal jig, Paddletail |
| Summer | 21 to 217 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (100 ft) | Speed jig, Heavy paddletail |
| Fall | 20 to 217 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid current seam (87 ft) | Metal jig, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 31 to 217 ft | midday | Deepest basin (214 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: atlantic cod in 20 to 100 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 45 to 180 ft before dropping to 49 to 217 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deepest basin, a deep basin in about 214 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic cod in winter. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a heavy metal jig or a large soft-plastic jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 20 to 100 ft | dawn | Sharp break (100 ft) | Diamond jig, Heavy bucktail |
| Summer | 45 to 180 ft | dawn | Sharp break (100 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large soft-plastic jig |
| Fall | 25 to 140 ft | dawn | Sharp break (100 ft) | Diamond jig, Bucktail with teaser |
| Winter | 49 to 217 ft | midday | Deepest basin (214 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
Come spring, look for ling tight to the bank in 39 to 217 ft. Through summer count on 36 to 217 ft; the winter hold is 40 to 217 ft. Start at Sharp break. It's a drop-off holding about 100 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in midday. A heavy vertical jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 39 to 217 ft | midday | Sharp break (100 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large soft-plastic jig |
| Summer | 36 to 217 ft | midday | Sharp break (100 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
| Fall | 38 to 217 ft | midday | Sharp break (100 ft) | Long metal jig |
| Winter | 40 to 217 ft | midday | Deepest basin (214 ft) | Heavy deep jig |
Cherbourg and Cap de la Hague - North Central also holds garfish (2 to 20 ft in summer), brill (6 to 50 ft in summer), thornback ray (10 to 65 ft in summer), common sole (3 to 30 ft in summer), thick-lipped grey mullet (1 to 18 ft in summer), flathead grey mullet (1 to 22 ft in summer), european eel (6 to 28 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 214 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: European Environment Agency — 2025 Bathing Water Directive Sites (France). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
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 Cherbourg and Cap de la Hague - 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 →
Cherbourg and Cap de la Hague - North Central is about 217 ft (66 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, atlantic mackerel, atlantic pollock, saithe (coalfish), atlantic cod, ling, garfish, brill, thornback ray, common sole, thick-lipped grey mullet, flathead grey mullet, european eel roster for Cherbourg and Cap de la Hague - 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.
Shoreline point is the top-rated area: a point in about 37 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic pollock in summer. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Cherbourg and Cap de la Hague - 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.
Cherbourg and Cap de la Hague - North East 8 mi · Cherbourg and Cap de la Hague - North West 9 mi · Cherbourg and Cap de la Hague - South East 9 mi · Cherbourg and Cap de la Hague - South West 14 mi · East Cotentin Coast - North West 1 17 mi · West Cotentin Coast - South 4 West 24 mi · West Cotentin Coast - South 4 Central 24 mi · East Cotentin Coast - Middle West 1 26 mi · East Cotentin Coast - North West 2 27 mi · East Cotentin Coast - Middle West 2 31 mi · West Cotentin Coast - South 3 Central 35 mi · West Cotentin Coast - South 3 West 35 mi
See how Cherbourg and Cap de la Hague - North Central stacks up: best garfish lakes in France · best european seabass lakes in France · best common sole lakes in France · best thick-lipped grey mullet 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.