Salt water depth chart
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10,472-acre Cwb-Ii-3A. North West Portugal coastal fishing map with an exact official national water-body boundary, EMODnet 2024 CDI-audited Portuguese hydrographic and research-survey/composite DTM contours, source-assessed fishing spots, official regional fish evidence, seasonal forage guidance, public-access review and current-rule links. Official Portuguese WFD named coastal or transitional assessment water in Central Portugal Atlantic Coast. This child is clipped to the exact source polygon and a trip-scale ownership window. Coverage classes and uncertainty limits are disclosed; this is a fishing-planning chart, not a navigation chart or catch forecast. The water tops out around 221 ft. The depth chart comes from EMODnet, with national hydrographic source-reference audit bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Traced from the shoreline, Cwb-Ii-3A - North West runs 10,468 acres with 20.2 miles of edge. At index 1.4 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 8.4 mi long by 4.1 mi wide at the broadest reach. For a second option, Cwb-Ii-3A - North lies 5 mi east.
Occurrence evidence does not promise a catch or establish that retention is legal. Current seasons, closures, protected species, gear rules and local restrictions 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (European Seabass) | official species listing | — |
| (Gilthead Seabream) | official species listing | — |
| (Meagre) | official species listing | — |
| (Atlantic Mackerel) | official species listing | — |
| (Atlantic Bonito) | official species listing | — |
| (Garfish) | official species listing | — |
| (Common Sole) | official species listing | — |
| (Thick-lipped Grey Mullet) | official species listing | — |
Official species-evidence source.
Start shallow in spring: european seabass sit in 3 to 25 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 2 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 55 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a surface lure or a paddle-tail soft plastic until the fish tell you otherwise.
| 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 gilthead seabream tight to the bank in 3 to 35 ft. Expect a summer slide to 2 to 45 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 100 ft. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 35 ft | dusk | open water | see map |
| Summer | 2 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | see map |
| Fall | 6 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | see map |
| Winter | 20 to 100 ft | midday | open water | see map |
Early season meagre use the shallows, holding in 12 to 80 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 100 ft, then a winter hold in 40 to 180 ft. Put Sharp break first on the milk run — a drop-off near 172 ft that grades good for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 12 to 80 ft | dusk | open water | see map |
| Summer | 8 to 100 ft | dusk | open water | see map |
| Fall | 15 to 130 ft | dusk | Sharp break (140 ft) | see map |
| Winter | 40 to 180 ft | midday | Sharp break (172 ft) | see map |
Come spring, look for atlantic mackerel tight to the bank in 5 to 45 ft. Expect a summer slide to 15 to 80 ft, then a winter hold in 30 to 120 ft. Start at Sharp break. It's a drop-off holding about 140 ft of water and rates good come winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A feather rig or a small vertical jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 15 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 30 to 120 ft | midday | Sharp break (140 ft) | Small deep jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: atlantic bonito in 15 to 100 ft. The depth story barely changes: 5 to 90 ft through summer, 50 to 220 ft in winter. The spot to know is Sharp break, a drop-off in about 172 ft of water that rates good for atlantic bonito in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 100 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | see map |
| Summer | 5 to 90 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | see map |
| Fall | 8 to 120 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (140 ft) | see map |
| Winter | 50 to 220 ft | midday | Sharp break (172 ft) | see map |
Spring puts garfish in skinny water — 1 to 15 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 2 to 20 ft, wintering in 20 to 60 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A slim casting spoon or a surface-skipping fly covers the summer program.
| 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 |
Cwb-Ii-3A - North West also holds common sole (3 to 30 ft in summer), thick-lipped grey mullet (1 to 18 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
4 pieces of structure are mapped here — Sharp break, around 176 ft, is the deepest of them.
Portuguese Environment Agency official SNIAmb bathing-water review was reviewed, but no stable government record establishes a public fishing entrance, parking or launch for this exact mapped child. This is an access-evidence gap, not a claim that public access does not exist. Verify land ownership, port and harbour rules, protected areas, local signs, parking, safety, permits and fishing 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 Portugal waters are set by the Portuguese Directorate-General for Natural Resources, Safety and Maritime Services (recreational fishing) — and special regulations can apply to Cwb-Ii-3A - North West specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish. Check Portugal's live DGRM, regional, port-authority and protected-area rules before every coastal trip. A current licence, RecFishing catch reporting, daily possession limits, minimum sizes, species closures, method limits, bathing-season restrictions, navigation-channel exclusions and local maritime notices may apply. Marine protected areas including Berlengas, Arrábida, the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast, Ria Formosa and other reserves impose additional zoned restrictions or authorizations. A WFD boundary, source-audited contour, fishing-spot marker or bathing-water record is planning context only and never grants fishing, retention, shore entry, parking, launching, port access or safe navigation permission.
Check the official Portugal fishing regulations →
DGRM current species, minimum-size and closure guidance →
Check special-area and water-specific rules →
Check official shore-access information →
Cwb-Ii-3A - North West is about 221 ft (67 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from EMODnet, with national hydrographic source-reference audit bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Official coastal monitoring from Portugal national fisheries and coastal monitoring agencies informs the european seabass, gilthead seabream, meagre, atlantic mackerel, atlantic bonito, garfish, common sole, thick-lipped grey mullet roster for Cwb-Ii-3A - North West. 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.
Sharp break is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 172 ft of water that rates good for meagre in winter. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Cwb-Ii-3A - North West is regulated by the Portuguese Directorate-General for Natural Resources, Safety and Maritime Services (recreational fishing). Check the official Portugal regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Cwb-Ii-3A - North 5 mi · Cwb-Ii-3A - Central West 5 mi · Cwb-Ii-3A - Central 7 mi · Cwb-Ii-3B - Sector 02 12 mi · Cwb-Ii-3B - Sector 05 21 mi · Cwb-Ii-2 - Central 26 mi · Cwb-Ii-2 - North 35 mi · Cwb-Ii-3B - Sector 10 43 mi · Cwb-Ii-4 - Sector 02 55 mi · Cwb-Ii-1B - North 56 mi · Cwb-Ii-4 - Sector 01 56 mi · Cwb-Ii-4 - Sector 04 62 mi
Browse all Portugal fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: EMODnet, with national hydrographic source-reference audit EMODnet Bathymetry DTM 2024 mean-depth grid — CDI-audited Portuguese hydrographic and research-survey/composite DTM (Lowest Astronomical Tide (LAT); 100% measured, 0% source-interpolated). 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.