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74,786-acre East Cotentin Coast. North 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 north west 2 angler-scale survey window. The water tops out around 197 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 - North West 2 runs 74,866 acres with 43.9 miles of edge. A shoreline index of 1.1 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. About 1% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Figure 15 mi of water from one end to the other, 13.4 mi at the beam. The nearest mapped water is East Cotentin Coast - North West 3, 10 mi to the east.
East Cotentin Coast — North West 2, France : carte SHOM officielle jusqu’à 60 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.
In spring, european seabass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 2 to 30 ft before dropping to 10 to 55 ft for winter. Fall european seabass concentrate at Shoreline point, a good-rated point around 7 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a surface lure or a paddle-tail soft plastic most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (7 ft) | Paddle-tail soft plastic, Shallow minnow plug |
| Summer | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (7 ft) | Surface lure, Paddle-tail soft plastic |
| Fall | 4 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (7 ft) | Slim metal lure, Minnow plug |
| Winter | 10 to 55 ft | midday | open water | Slow soft-plastic shad, Suspending minnow |
Early season atlantic mackerel use the shallows, holding in 5 to 45 ft. Summer is a 15 to 80 ft game here, winter a 30 to 120 ft one. The chart's best answer is SHOM-grid current seam — current seam, 79 ft, good for summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a feather rig or a small vertical jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (7 ft) | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 15 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid current seam (79 ft) | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid current seam (79 ft) | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 30 to 120 ft | midday | SHOM-grid channel edge (99 ft) | Small deep jig |
Spring puts european plaice in skinny water — 8 to 35 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 6 to 40 ft, wintering in 25 to 80 ft. Spring european plaice concentrate at SHOM-grid flat, a prime-rated feeding flat around 20 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A light spooned bottom rig or a beaded trace covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 35 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid flat (20 ft) | Beaded flowing trace |
| Summer | 6 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid flat (20 ft) | Light spooned bottom rig, Beaded trace |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid flat (20 ft) | Beaded bottom trace |
| Winter | 25 to 80 ft | midday | open water |
When the water first warms, common sole slide up into 6 to 30 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 30 ft, winter 20 to 70 ft. If you only fish one area, make it SHOM-grid flat: a feeding flat around 20 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening. Keep a light rolling-lead rig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 6 to 30 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid flat (20 ft) | Tiny bottom jig |
| Summer | 3 to 30 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid flat (20 ft) | Light rolling-lead rig |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid flat (20 ft) | Compact bottom jig |
| Winter | 20 to 70 ft | night | open water |
Early season european flounder use the shallows, holding in 5 to 25 ft. Summer is a 6 to 35 ft game here, winter a 15 to 50 ft one. The chart's best answer is SHOM-grid flat — feeding flat, 20 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a bottom jig with spinner blade and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid flat (20 ft) | Small bucktail dragged on bottom |
| Summer | 6 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid flat (20 ft) | Bottom jig with spinner blade |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid flat (20 ft) | Compact bottom jig |
| Winter | 15 to 50 ft | midday | SHOM-grid flat (20 ft) | Small bottom jig |
Spring puts whiting in skinny water — 15 to 55 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 20 to 70 ft, wintering in 15 to 70 ft. Summer whiting concentrate at SHOM-grid current seam, a good-rated current seam around 79 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A small vertical jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 55 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small silver jig, Two-hook feather rig |
| Summer | 20 to 70 ft | dawn | SHOM-grid current seam (79 ft) | Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 60 ft | dusk | open water | Small silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 15 to 70 ft | dusk | open water | Compact vertical jig |
East Cotentin Coast - North 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 150 ft in summer), atlantic cod (45 to 180 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 193 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 East Cotentin Coast - North 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 - North West 2 is about 197 ft (60 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 - North 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 flat is the top-rated area: a feeding flat in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for european plaice in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 - North 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 - North West 3 10 mi · East Cotentin Coast - North West 1 10 mi · East Cotentin Coast - Middle West 2 12 mi · East Cotentin Coast - Middle West 1 12 mi · East Cotentin Coast - Middle West 3 16 mi · Cherbourg and Cap de la Hague - North East 19 mi · East Cotentin Coast - South West 2 19 mi · East Cotentin Coast - North West 4 19 mi · Cherbourg and Cap de la Hague - South East 20 mi · East Cotentin Coast - South West 3 23 mi · East Cotentin Coast - Middle West 4 23 mi · Cherbourg and Cap de la Hague - North Central 27 mi
See how East Cotentin Coast - North 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.