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76,392-acre Dunkirk and Flanders Coast. West 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 French North Sea shore from Dunkirk to the Belgian frontier, including harbor approaches, sand banks and tidal beach structure. This page covers the west angler-scale survey window. The water tops out around 120 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. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Dunkirk and Flanders Coast - West maps at 76,494 acres behind 44.3 miles of shoreline. Nearly circular (index 1.1), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. Roughly 2% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Figure 16 mi of water from one end to the other, 14.3 mi at the beam. If the bite dies, Dunkirk and Flanders Coast - Central is 10 mi to the east.
Dunkirk and Flanders Coast — West, France : carte SHOM officielle jusqu’à 37 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.
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 5 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 | Shoreline point (5 ft) | Paddle-tail soft plastic, Shallow minnow plug |
| Summer | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (5 ft) | Surface lure, Paddle-tail soft plastic |
| Fall | 4 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (5 ft) | Slim metal lure, Minnow plug |
| Winter | 10 to 55 ft | midday | SHOM-grid channel edge (60 ft) | 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 SHOM-grid current seam, a current seam in about 48 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic mackerel in fall. 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 | SHOM-grid current seam (48 ft) | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 15 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (27 ft) | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid current seam (48 ft) | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 30 to 120 ft | midday | Deepest basin (118 ft) | Small deep jig |
Spring european plaice on Dunkirk and Flanders Coast - West hold shallow, usually 8 to 35 ft. By summer they slide out to 6 to 40 ft, and by winter most fish are in 25 to 80 ft. The chart's best answer is Feeding flat — feeding flat, 39 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a light spooned bottom rig or a beaded trace.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 35 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid shoal (22 ft) | Beaded flowing trace |
| Summer | 6 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Feeding flat (39 ft) | Light spooned bottom rig, Beaded trace |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk | Feeding flat (39 ft) | Beaded bottom trace |
| Winter | 25 to 80 ft | midday | SHOM-grid channel edge (60 ft) |
Spring puts common sole in skinny water — 6 to 30 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 30 ft, and winter fish hold in 20 to 70 ft. Feeding flat is the standout, a feeding flat at roughly 39 ft, rated good for fall common sole. Plan around the evening in the warm months. A light rolling-lead rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 6 to 30 ft | dusk | Feeding flat (39 ft) | Tiny bottom jig |
| Summer | 3 to 30 ft | dusk | Feeding flat (39 ft) | Light rolling-lead rig |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dusk | Feeding flat (39 ft) | Compact bottom jig |
| Winter | 20 to 70 ft | night | SHOM-grid channel edge (60 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: european flounder sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 50 ft. The spot to know is Sharp break, a drop-off in about 27 ft of water that rates prime for european flounder in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a bottom jig with spinner blade until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Sharp break (27 ft) | Small bucktail dragged on bottom |
| Summer | 6 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (27 ft) | Bottom jig with spinner blade |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dusk | Sharp break (27 ft) | Compact bottom jig |
| Winter | 15 to 50 ft | midday | Sharp break (27 ft) | Small bottom jig |
Spring whiting on Dunkirk and Flanders Coast - West hold shallow, usually 15 to 55 ft. By summer they slide out to 20 to 70 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 70 ft. The chart's best answer is SHOM-grid channel edge — channel edge, 60 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a small vertical jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 55 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid channel edge (60 ft) | Small silver jig, Two-hook feather rig |
| Summer | 20 to 70 ft | dawn | SHOM-grid channel edge (60 ft) | Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 60 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid channel edge (60 ft) | Small silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 15 to 70 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid channel edge (60 ft) | Compact vertical jig |
Dunkirk and Flanders Coast - West 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 (10 to 120 ft in summer), atlantic cod (30 to 120 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 9 features, led in depth by Deepest basin at roughly 118 ft.
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 Dunkirk and Flanders Coast - West 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 →
Dunkirk and Flanders Coast - West is about 120 ft (37 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 Dunkirk and Flanders Coast - 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.
SHOM-grid current seam is the top-rated area: a current seam in about 48 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic mackerel in fall. 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 Dunkirk and Flanders Coast - West 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.
Dunkirk and Flanders Coast - Central 10 mi · Calais and Cap Gris-Nez - North East 10 mi · Calais and Cap Gris-Nez - South East 16 mi · Dunkirk and Flanders Coast - East 20 mi · Calais and Cap Gris-Nez - North West 20 mi · Calais and Cap Gris-Nez - South West 25 mi · Belgian Coast - Sector 04 26 mi, BE · Boulogne Bay - North East 30 mi · Belgian Coast - Sector 05 35 mi, BE · Boulogne Bay - North West 35 mi · Boulogne Bay - South East 39 mi · Belgian Coast - Sector 01 40 mi, BE
See how Dunkirk and Flanders Coast - West 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.