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14,253-acre Gironde Estuary. South 1 West 4 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 Gironde mouth and lower estuary, a large turbid channel-and-bank system requiring multiple trip-scale survey windows. This page covers the south 1 west 4 angler-scale survey window. The water tops out around 45 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.
The drawn water covers 14,256 acres wrapped in 65.4 miles of bank. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 3.9) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Roughly 67% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Tip to tip the water measures near 15.7 mi with a 5.7-mi widest point. If the bite dies, Gironde Estuary - South 2 West 4 is 12 mi to the north.
Gironde Estuary — South 1 West 4, France : carte SHOM officielle jusqu’à 14 m; spots pour bar commun, sole commune. 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 | — |
| sole commune (Common Sole) | official species listing | — |
| flet commun (European Flounder) | official species listing | — |
| plie commune (European Plaice) | official species listing | — |
| merlan (Whiting) | official species listing | — |
| orphie (Garfish) | official species listing | — |
| maquereau commun (Atlantic Mackerel) | official species listing | — |
| mulet lippu (Thick-lipped Grey Mullet) | official species listing | — |
| mulet cabot (Flathead Grey Mullet) | official species listing | — |
| barbue (Brill) | official species listing | — |
| raie bouclée (Thornback Ray) | official species listing | — |
| anguille européenne (European Eel) | official species listing | — |
| saumon atlantique (Atlantic Salmon) | official species listing | — |
Official species-evidence source.
Come spring, look for european seabass tight to the bank in 3 to 25 ft. They move out to 2 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it SHOM-grid current seam: a current seam around 18 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is 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 | SHOM-grid current seam (18 ft) | Paddle-tail soft plastic, Shallow minnow plug |
| Summer | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid current seam (18 ft) | Surface lure, Paddle-tail soft plastic |
| Fall | 4 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid current seam (18 ft) | Slim metal lure, Minnow plug |
| Winter | 8 to 45 ft | midday | Deepest basin (45 ft) | Slow soft-plastic shad, Suspending minnow |
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 13 to 45 ft. Spring common sole concentrate at Feeding flat, a prime-rated feeding flat around 11 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening. 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 (11 ft) | Tiny bottom jig |
| Summer | 3 to 30 ft | dusk | Feeding flat (11 ft) | Light rolling-lead rig |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid channel edge (23 ft) | Compact bottom jig |
| Winter | 13 to 45 ft | night | Deepest basin (45 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: european flounder sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 6 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 14 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: Feeding flat, a feeding flat in the 11 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. 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 | Feeding flat (11 ft) | Small bucktail dragged on bottom |
| Summer | 6 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Feeding flat (11 ft) | Bottom jig with spinner blade |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dusk | Sharp break (35 ft) | Compact bottom jig |
| Winter | 14 to 45 ft | midday | Deepest basin (45 ft) | Small bottom jig |
Spring european plaice on Gironde Estuary - South 1 West 4 hold shallow, usually 8 to 35 ft. They move out to 6 to 40 ft in summer and finish the year down in 14 to 45 ft. Put Feeding flat first on the milk run — a feeding flat near 11 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run 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 | Feeding flat (11 ft) | Beaded flowing trace |
| Summer | 6 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Feeding flat (11 ft) | Light spooned bottom rig, Beaded trace |
| Fall | 9 to 45 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid channel edge (23 ft) | Beaded bottom trace |
| Winter | 14 to 45 ft | midday | Deepest basin (45 ft) |
Spring whiting on Gironde Estuary - South 1 West 4 hold shallow, usually 12 to 45 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 13 to 45 ft in summer, 10 to 45 ft once it turns cold. Put SHOM-grid channel edge first on the milk run — a channel edge near 23 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a small vertical jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 12 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid channel edge (23 ft) | Small silver jig, Two-hook feather rig |
| Summer | 13 to 45 ft | dawn | Deepest basin (45 ft) | Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 8 to 45 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid channel edge (23 ft) | Small silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 10 to 45 ft | dusk | Deepest basin (45 ft) | Compact vertical jig |
Come spring, look for garfish tight to the bank in 1 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 2 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 14 to 45 ft. Start at SHOM-grid shoal. It's a gravel shoal holding about 8 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A slim casting spoon or a surface-skipping fly is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 15 ft | dawn & midday | SHOM-grid shoal (8 ft) | Slim silver spoon, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 2 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (16 ft) | Slim casting spoon, Surface-skipping fly |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid current seam (18 ft) | Weighted slim spoon, Small silver jig |
| Winter | 14 to 45 ft | midday | Deepest basin (45 ft) |
Gironde Estuary - South 1 West 4 also holds atlantic mackerel (8 to 45 ft in summer), thick-lipped grey mullet (1 to 18 ft in summer), flathead grey mullet (1 to 22 ft in summer), brill (5 to 45 ft in summer), thornback ray (7 to 45 ft in summer), european eel (6 to 28 ft in summer), atlantic salmon (13 to 45 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Gironde Estuary - South 1 West 4 carries 9 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deepest basin, about 45 ft down.
No official 2025 EEA designated bathing-water point matched within 400 metres of this SHOM-grid shoreline. This is an access-evidence gap, not a statement that public fishing access does not exist. Verify local fishing rights, land ownership, posted restrictions, protected areas, tidal and surf safety, and municipal 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 France waters are set by the Légifrance (current French recreational sea-fishing minimum sizes) — and special regulations can apply to Gironde Estuary - South 1 West 4 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 →
Gironde Estuary - South 1 West 4 is about 45 ft (14 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 EVHOE and PELGAS regional survey evidence informs the european seabass, common sole, european flounder, european plaice, whiting, garfish, atlantic mackerel, thick-lipped grey mullet, flathead grey mullet, brill, thornback ray, european eel, atlantic salmon roster for Gironde Estuary - South 1 West 4. 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 18 ft of water that rates prime for european seabass in summer. Open the map above to see every rated 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.
Fishing on Gironde Estuary - South 1 West 4 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.
Gironde Estuary - South 2 West 4 12 mi · Gironde Estuary - South 2 West 3 17 mi · Gironde Estuary - South 3 West 3 27 mi · Gironde Estuary - South 1 West 2 29 mi · Gironde Estuary - South 2 West 2 31 mi · Marennes-Oléron Basin - South East 35 mi · Gironde Estuary - South 1 West 1 36 mi · Bassin d’Arcachon - Middle Central 37 mi · Gironde Estuary - South 3 West 2 37 mi · Bassin d’Arcachon - North West 38 mi · Gironde Estuary - South 2 West 1 38 mi · Bassin d’Arcachon - Middle West 43 mi
See how Gironde Estuary - South 1 West 4 stacks up: best european flounder lakes in France · best garfish lakes in France · best european seabass lakes in France · best common sole 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.