Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeSalt water depth chart
Today's read
Rating depth structure for european flounder.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
1,961-acre Deben Estuary fishing map with Environment Agency multibeam/SurfZone ODN contours (94.52% measured, 98.99% assessed), four measured spots, exact Eastern IFCA WFD-compatible fish and forage counts, three dated survey-site cards, official coast-path access and current GOV.UK/Eastern IFCA guidance. The water tops out around 43 ft. The depth chart comes from Environment Agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Traced from the shoreline, Deben Estuary runs 1,953 acres with 55.6 miles of edge, broken up by 33 islands. The 9 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 90% of this chart. The basin spans about 8.8 mi end to end and 2.9 mi across at its widest. The nearest mapped water is Orwell Estuary, 6 mi to the southwest.
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 8 to 43 ft. Summer european seabass concentrate at Directly measured lower-channel shoulder, a prime-rated channel edge around 15 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 | Directly measured lower-channel shoulder (15 ft) | Paddle-tail soft plastic, Shallow minnow plug |
| Summer | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Directly measured lower-channel shoulder (15 ft) | Surface lure, Paddle-tail soft plastic |
| Fall | 4 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Directly measured lower-channel shoulder (15 ft) | Slim metal lure, Minnow plug |
| Winter | 8 to 43 ft | midday | Deepest directly measured basin cell (43 ft) | Slow soft-plastic shad, Suspending minnow |
When the water first warms, flathead grey mullet slide up into 2 to 18 ft. By summer they slide out to 1 to 22 ft, and by winter most fish are in 11 to 43 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Directly measured lower-channel shoulder: a channel edge around 15 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and midday. Keep a bread fly or a small algae-pattern fly rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 18 ft | dusk | Directly measured upper-flat transition (4 ft) | Bread fly, Tiny shrimp fly |
| Summer | 1 to 22 ft | dawn & midday | Directly measured upper-flat transition (4 ft) | Bread fly, Small algae-pattern fly |
| Fall | 4 to 28 ft | midday | Directly measured lower-channel shoulder (15 ft) | Bread fly |
| Winter | 11 to 43 ft | midday | Deepest directly measured basin cell (43 ft) |
Come spring, look for brill tight to the bank in 10 to 43 ft. Through summer count on 5 to 43 ft; the winter hold is 13 to 43 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Directly measured lower-channel shoulder: a channel edge around 15 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small shad on a bottom jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 43 ft | dusk | Directly measured lower-channel shoulder (15 ft) | Light bottom jig |
| Summer | 5 to 43 ft | dawn & dusk | Directly measured upper-flat transition (4 ft) | Small shad on a bottom jig |
| Fall | 9 to 43 ft | midday | Directly measured lower-channel shoulder (15 ft) | Compact bottom jig |
| Winter | 13 to 43 ft | midday | Deepest directly measured basin cell (43 ft) |
Spring european flounder on Deben Estuary hold shallow, usually 5 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 6 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 13 to 43 ft. The chart's best answer is Directly measured upper-flat transition — feeding flat, 4 ft, prime for spring. 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 | Directly measured upper-flat transition (4 ft) | Small bucktail dragged on bottom |
| Summer | 6 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Directly measured upper-flat transition (4 ft) | Bottom jig with spinner blade |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dusk | Strongest directly measured local depth transition (27 ft) | Compact bottom jig |
| Winter | 13 to 43 ft | midday | Deepest directly measured basin cell (43 ft) | Small bottom jig |
8 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deepest directly measured basin cell, around 43 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Natural England / GOV.UK. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Deben Estuary is about 43 ft (13 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from Environment Agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target european seabass, flathead grey mullet, brill, european flounder on Deben Estuary. The list combines the water's survey records with habitat-filtered species from broader official evidence; those additions are plausible occurrences, not exact-water abundance or guaranteed catches.
Directly measured lower-channel shoulder is the top-rated area: a channel edge in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for flathead grey mullet in fall. 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.
Orwell Estuary 6 mi · Holbrook Lake 9 mi · Alde-Ore Estuary 9 mi · Stour Estuary 10 mi · Ardleigh Reservoir 19 mi · Barnby Broad 31 mi · Blackwater Estuary - Inner and Middle 32 mi · Sea Mere or Hingham Sea Mere 39 mi · Crouch Estuary - Inner to Burnham Reach 41 mi · Scoulton Mere or Saham Toney Mere 41 mi · Upton Broad 44 mi · The Springs or Rackheath Springs Lake 44 mi
See how Deben Estuary stacks up: best european flounder lakes in United Kingdom · best european seabass lakes in United Kingdom
Browse all United Kingdom fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: Environment Agency Multibeam Bathymetry + SurfZone DEM 2019 (Ordnance Datum Newlyn (ODN); 95% measured, 4% 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.