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Eems-Dollard (kustwater) is a 34,846-acre Dutch saltwater fishing section with official Rijkswaterstaat bathymetry, evidence-scoped fish targets, and mapped depth-derived fishing spots. The water tops out around 105 ft. The depth chart comes from Rijkswaterstaat bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
The outline encloses 34,823 acres, worked by 46.6 miles of shoreline. With a 1.8 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. 26% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 18.8 mi, about 6.6 mi across. If the bite dies, Ems Estuary is 4 mi to the north.
Vis- en dieptekaart van Eems-Dollard (kustwater), Nederland: gemeten dieptelijnen (Rijkswaterstaat) tot 32 m, met visstekken voor haring, bot. De dieptelijnen zijn berekend uit gemeten bodemhoogten van Rijkswaterstaat en het officiële lokale streefpeil (NAP). Gebruik de kaart als visgids, nooit voor navigatie.
The roster combines Wadden Sea station records and long-running regional monitoring, filtered to this saltwater habitat. It does not imply equal abundance across a tidal basin. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Haring (Atlantic Herring) | coastal monitoring | — |
| Bot (European Flounder) | coastal monitoring | — |
| Schol (European Plaice) | coastal monitoring | — |
| Tong (Common Sole) | coastal monitoring | — |
| Wijting (Whiting) | coastal monitoring | — |
| Zeebaars (European Seabass) | coastal monitoring | — |
| Spiering (European Smelt) | coastal monitoring | — |
| Paling (European Eel) | coastal monitoring | — |
Official species-evidence source.
Early season atlantic herring use the shallows, holding in 5 to 25 ft. Summer is a 15 to 50 ft game here, winter a 20 to 60 ft one. The chart's best answer is RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone — drop-off, 66 ft, good for winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a herring feather rig or a small silver jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone (5 ft) | Small herring feather rig, Micro jig rig |
| Summer | 15 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Herring feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Fall | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small feather rig, Compact silver spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone (66 ft) | Small silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
In spring, european flounder run shallow here, mostly 5 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 6 to 35 ft before dropping to 15 to 50 ft for winter. Spring european flounder concentrate at RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone, a prime-rated feeding flat around 5 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a bottom jig with spinner blade most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone (5 ft) | Small bucktail dragged on bottom |
| Summer | 6 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone (27 ft) | Bottom jig with spinner blade |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dusk | RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone (27 ft) | Compact bottom jig |
| Winter | 15 to 50 ft | midday | RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone (27 ft) | Small bottom jig |
When the water first warms, european plaice slide up into 8 to 35 ft. Summer is a 6 to 40 ft game here, winter a 25 to 80 ft one. Start at RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone. It's a feeding flat holding about 27 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a light spooned bottom rig or a beaded trace rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 35 ft | dusk | RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone (27 ft) | Beaded flowing trace |
| Summer | 6 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone (27 ft) | Light spooned bottom rig, Beaded trace |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk | RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone (27 ft) | Beaded bottom trace |
| Winter | 25 to 80 ft | midday | open water |
Start shallow in spring: common sole sit in 6 to 30 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 3 to 30 ft covers summer, 20 to 70 ft covers winter. The spot to know is RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone, a feeding flat in about 27 ft of water that rates prime for common sole in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening. Throw a light rolling-lead rig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 6 to 30 ft | dusk | RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone (27 ft) | Tiny bottom jig |
| Summer | 3 to 30 ft | dusk | RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone (5 ft) | Light rolling-lead rig |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dusk | RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone (27 ft) | Compact bottom jig |
| Winter | 20 to 70 ft | night | open water |
When the water first warms, whiting slide up into 15 to 55 ft. Summer is a 20 to 70 ft game here, winter a 15 to 70 ft one. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a small vertical jig rigged through the warm months.
| 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 | open water | 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 |
Early season european seabass use the shallows, holding in 3 to 25 ft. Summer is a 2 to 30 ft game here, winter a 10 to 55 ft one. The chart's best answer is RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone — feeding flat, 5 ft, good for summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a surface lure or a paddle-tail soft plastic and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone (5 ft) | Paddle-tail soft plastic, Shallow minnow plug |
| Summer | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone (5 ft) | 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 |
Eems-Dollard (kustwater) also holds european smelt (25 to 70 ft in summer), european eel (6 to 28 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 RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone at roughly 104 ft.
Access data: Rijkswaterstaat Fairway Information Services. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Netherlands waters are set by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO — recreational saltwater fishing) — and special regulations can apply to Eems-Dollard (kustwater) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Netherlands fishing regulations →
Eems-Dollard (kustwater) is about 105 ft (32 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from Rijkswaterstaat bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Official coastal monitoring from Wageningen Marine Research — Dutch Wadden Sea monitoring informs the atlantic herring, european flounder, european plaice, common sole, whiting, european seabass, european smelt, european eel roster for Eems-Dollard (kustwater). 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.
RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone is the top-rated area: a feeding flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for european flounder in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For atlantic herring, 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 Eems-Dollard (kustwater) is regulated by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO — recreational saltwater fishing). Check the official Netherlands regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Ems Estuary 4 mi, DEU · Rottum Coast 6 mi · Zoutkamperlaag–Groninger Wad East 10 mi · Eemshaven–Dollard Wadden Coast 11 mi · Huibertgat–Lauwers Offshore 14 mi · East Frisian Wadden Sea - Juist West 15 mi, DEU · East Frisian Wadden Sea - Borkum 16 mi, DEU · Eems-Dollard 19 mi · Schiermonnikoog Coast 20 mi · East Frisian Wadden Sea - Juist East 23 mi, DEU · Zoutkamperlaag–Groninger Wad West 26 mi · Friesche Zeegat Offshore 28 mi
See how Eems-Dollard (kustwater) stacks up: best atlantic herring lakes in Netherlands · best european flounder lakes in Netherlands · best european seabass lakes in Netherlands · best common sole lakes in Netherlands
Browse all Netherlands fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: Rijkswaterstaat measured bed elevations and official target water levels, CC0. 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.