Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeSalt water depth chart
Today's read
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
72,920-acre East Cotentin Coast. Middle West 2 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 eastern Cotentin coast from Utah Beach to Barfleur, including roadstead, harbor and tide-race structure. This page covers the middle west 2 angler-scale survey window. The water tops out around 146 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, East Cotentin Coast - Middle West 2 runs 72,918 acres with 42.2 miles of edge. Nearly circular (index 1.1), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 3% of this chart. The basin spans about 12.5 mi end to end and 10.3 mi across at its widest. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: East Cotentin Coast - Middle West 1, 6 mi west of here.
East Cotentin Coast — Middle West 2, France : carte SHOM officielle jusqu’à 45 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 | — |
| plie commune (European Plaice) | official species listing | — |
| sole commune (Common Sole) | official species listing | — |
| flet commun (European Flounder) | official species listing | — |
| merlan (Whiting) | official species listing | — |
| orphie (Garfish) | official species listing | — |
| hareng (Atlantic Herring) | official species listing | — |
| barbue (Brill) | official species listing | — |
| raie bouclée (Thornback Ray) | official species listing | — |
| mulet lippu (Thick-lipped Grey Mullet) | official species listing | — |
| lieu jaune (Atlantic Pollock) | official species listing | — |
| cabillaud (Atlantic Cod) | official species listing | — |
Official species-evidence source.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: european seabass in 3 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 2 to 30 ft before dropping to 10 to 55 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shoreline point, a point in about 35 ft of water that rates good for european seabass in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a surface lure or a paddle-tail soft plastic gets it done.
| 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 | Shoreline point (35 ft) | Surface lure, Paddle-tail soft plastic |
| Fall | 4 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (35 ft) | Slim metal lure, Minnow plug |
| Winter | 10 to 55 ft | midday | open water | Slow soft-plastic shad, Suspending minnow |
When the water first warms, atlantic mackerel slide up into 5 to 45 ft. Summer is a 15 to 80 ft game here, winter a 30 to 120 ft one. Start at SHOM-grid current seam. It's a current seam holding about 58 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a feather rig or a small vertical jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (35 ft) | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 15 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (56 ft) | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid current seam (58 ft) | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 30 to 120 ft | midday | Sharp break (56 ft) | Small deep jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: european plaice in 8 to 35 ft. As the season builds they drop to 6 to 40 ft, wintering in 25 to 80 ft. Top water on the chart: Feeding flat, a feeding flat in the 37 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a light spooned bottom rig or a beaded trace gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 35 ft | dusk | Feeding flat (37 ft) | Beaded flowing trace |
| Summer | 6 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Feeding flat (37 ft) | Light spooned bottom rig, Beaded trace |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk | Feeding flat (37 ft) | Beaded bottom trace |
| Winter | 25 to 80 ft | midday | SHOM-grid channel edge (73 ft) |
Spring common sole on East Cotentin Coast - Middle West 2 hold shallow, usually 6 to 30 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 30 ft in summer, 20 to 70 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Feeding flat — feeding flat, 37 ft, good for fall. Prime time lands in the evening. The summer box starts with a light rolling-lead rig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 6 to 30 ft | dusk | Feeding flat (37 ft) | Tiny bottom jig |
| Summer | 3 to 30 ft | dusk | Feeding flat (37 ft) | Light rolling-lead rig |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dusk | Feeding flat (37 ft) | Compact bottom jig |
| Winter | 20 to 70 ft | night | SHOM-grid channel edge (73 ft) |
When the water first warms, european flounder slide up into 5 to 25 ft. Summer is a 6 to 35 ft game here, winter a 15 to 50 ft one. Start at Feeding flat. It's a feeding flat holding about 37 ft of water and rates good come summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a bottom jig with spinner blade rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid shoal (26 ft) | Small bucktail dragged on bottom |
| Summer | 6 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Feeding flat (37 ft) | Bottom jig with spinner blade |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dusk | Feeding flat (37 ft) | Compact bottom jig |
| Winter | 15 to 50 ft | midday | Sharp break (56 ft) | Small bottom jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: whiting in 15 to 55 ft. As the season builds they drop to 20 to 70 ft, wintering in 15 to 70 ft. Top water on the chart: SHOM-grid current seam, a current seam in the 58 ft range, good in fall. Time it for early morning. Summer baits: a small vertical jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 55 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid current seam (58 ft) | Small silver jig, Two-hook feather rig |
| Summer | 20 to 70 ft | dawn | SHOM-grid channel edge (73 ft) | Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 60 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid current seam (58 ft) | Small silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 15 to 70 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid channel edge (73 ft) | Compact vertical jig |
East Cotentin Coast - Middle West 2 also holds garfish (2 to 20 ft in summer), atlantic herring (15 to 50 ft in summer), brill (6 to 50 ft in summer), thornback ray (10 to 65 ft in summer), thick-lipped grey mullet (1 to 18 ft in summer), atlantic pollock (12 to 146 ft in summer), atlantic cod (37 to 146 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
9 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deepest basin, around 142 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 East Cotentin Coast - Middle West 2 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 →
East Cotentin Coast - Middle West 2 is about 146 ft (45 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, european plaice, common sole, european flounder, whiting, garfish, atlantic herring, brill, thornback ray, thick-lipped grey mullet, atlantic pollock, atlantic cod roster for East Cotentin Coast - Middle West 2. 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 current seam is the top-rated area: a current seam in about 58 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic mackerel in fall. Open the map above to see every rated 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 East Cotentin Coast - Middle West 2 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.
East Cotentin Coast - Middle West 1 6 mi · East Cotentin Coast - South West 2 7 mi · East Cotentin Coast - Middle West 3 10 mi · East Cotentin Coast - North West 2 12 mi · East Cotentin Coast - South West 3 13 mi · East Cotentin Coast - North West 3 15 mi · East Cotentin Coast - North West 1 18 mi · East Cotentin Coast - Middle West 4 19 mi · East Cotentin Coast - South West 4 21 mi · Cherbourg and Cap de la Hague - South East 22 mi · East Cotentin Coast - North West 4 23 mi · Cherbourg and Cap de la Hague - North East 25 mi
See how East Cotentin Coast - Middle West 2 stacks up: best atlantic herring lakes in France · best european flounder lakes in France · best garfish lakes in France · best european seabass 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.