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12.509-acre Hvalfjörður. West Iceland coastal fishing map with an exact official national water-body boundary, EMODnet 2024 official Icelandic MFRI/ISL hydrographic DTM with traceable CDI surveys contours, source-assessed fishing spots, official regional fish evidence, seasonal forage guidance, public-access review and current-rule links. Official Icelandic WFD named coastal or transitional assessment water in Westfjords and Breidafjordur. 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 252 ft. The depth chart comes from EMODnet, with national hydrographic source-reference audit official hydrographic-chart depth models, so the contours are chart-derived rather than computer-modeled; no directly measured sounding coverage is claimed. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The drawn water covers 12,510 acres wrapped in 26.4 miles of bank. With a 1.7 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 14% of this chart. The basin spans about 9 mi end to end and 4.6 mi across at its widest. If the bite dies, Hvalfjörður - East is 8 mi to the northeast.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| (Atlantic Cod) | official species listing | — |
| (Haddock) | official species listing | — |
| (Saithe (Coalfish)) | official species listing | — |
| (Atlantic Mackerel) | official species listing | — |
| (Atlantic Herring) | official species listing | — |
| (Atlantic Halibut) | official species listing | — |
| (Ling) | official species listing | — |
| (Cusk (Tusk)) | official species listing | — |
Official species-evidence source.
Spring puts atlantic cod in skinny water — 20 to 100 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 45 to 180 ft; cold water stacks them in 50 to 220 ft. Rock reef is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 5 ft, rated good for fall atlantic cod. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A heavy metal jig or a large soft-plastic jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 20 to 100 ft | dawn | Rock reef (5 ft) | Diamond jig, Heavy bucktail |
| Summer | 45 to 180 ft | dawn | Sharp break (85 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large soft-plastic jig |
| Fall | 25 to 140 ft | dawn | Rock reef (5 ft) | Diamond jig, Bucktail with teaser |
| Winter | 50 to 220 ft | midday | Deepest basin (252 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
Come spring, look for haddock tight to the bank in 35 to 220 ft. Expect a summer slide to 47 to 252 ft, then a winter hold in 44 to 252 ft. Start at Deepest basin. It's a deep basin holding about 252 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in early morning. A compact metal jig or a bottom rig is the honest summer answer here.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 35 to 220 ft | dawn | Feeding flat (37 ft) | Small bottom jig, Beaded trace |
| Summer | 47 to 252 ft chart-limited; documented 60 to 320 ft | dawn | Deepest basin (252 ft) | Compact metal jig, Bottom rig |
| Fall | 44 to 252 ft chart-limited; documented 45 to 260 ft | midday | Feeding flat (37 ft) | Small vertical jig |
| Winter | 44 to 252 ft chart-limited; documented 70 to 400 ft | midday | Deepest basin (252 ft) | Deep bottom jig |
Spring saithe (coalfish) on Hvalfjörður - West hold shallow, usually 15 to 160 ft. By summer they slide out to 24 to 252 ft, and by winter most fish are in 35 to 252 ft. The chart's best answer is Sharp break — drop-off, 85 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a speed jig or a heavy paddletail.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 160 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (36 ft) | Slim metal jig, Paddletail |
| Summer | 24 to 252 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 260 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (85 ft) | Speed jig, Heavy paddletail |
| Fall | 20 to 220 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (85 ft) | Metal jig, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 35 to 252 ft chart-limited; documented 45 to 320 ft | midday | Deepest basin (252 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
Spring puts atlantic mackerel in skinny water — 5 to 45 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 15 to 80 ft, wintering in 30 to 120 ft. Summer atlantic mackerel concentrate at Sharp break, a good-rated drop-off around 39 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A feather rig or a small vertical jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (36 ft) | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 15 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (39 ft) | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (39 ft) | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 30 to 120 ft | midday | Sharp break (85 ft) | Small deep jig |
Spring atlantic herring on Hvalfjörður - West hold shallow, usually 5 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 15 to 50 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 60 ft. The chart's best answer is Sharp break — drop-off, 39 ft, good for summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a herring feather rig or a small silver jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (5 ft) | Small herring feather rig, Micro jig rig |
| Summer | 15 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (39 ft) | Herring feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Fall | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (39 ft) | Small feather rig, Compact silver spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Sharp break (39 ft) | Small silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
When the water first warms, atlantic halibut slide up into 32 to 252 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 21 to 252 ft, winter 42 to 252 ft. Start at Feeding flat. It's a feeding flat holding about 37 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a large swimbait or a slow metal jig rigged through the warm months.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 32 to 252 ft chart-limited; documented 45 to 350 ft | dawn | Feeding flat (37 ft) | Large paddletail, Heavy bottom jig |
| Summer | 21 to 252 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 300 ft | dawn & dusk | Feeding flat (37 ft) | Large swimbait, Slow metal jig |
| Fall | 30 to 252 ft chart-limited; documented 45 to 380 ft | midday | Feeding flat (37 ft) | Heavy paddletail, Bottom jig |
| Winter | 42 to 252 ft chart-limited; documented 100 to 600 ft | midday | Deepest basin (252 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
Hvalfjörður - West also holds ling (42 to 252 ft in summer), cusk (tusk) (43 to 252 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 15 structure features on Hvalfjörður - West; the deepest is Deepest basin at about 252 ft.
Icelandic Coast Guard Hydrographic Department and official harbour 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 Iceland waters are set by the Government of Iceland fisheries guidance — and special regulations can apply to Hvalfjörður - West specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish. Check Iceland's live fisheries legislation, Directorate of Fisheries notices, protected-area terms and local land-access rules before every coastal trip. Species closures, protected spawning areas, minimum sizes, gear controls and rules near privately controlled shores can change. Individual protected areas have their own terms, while harbours, exposed coasts, weather and navigation hazards add separate restrictions. A WFD polygon, source-audited contour, fishing spot or harbour reference never grants fishing, retention, entry, parking, launching or safe-navigation permission.
Check the official Iceland fishing regulations →
Directorate of Fisheries Iceland →
Check special-area and water-specific rules →
Check official shore-access information →
Hvalfjörður - West is about 252 ft (77 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from EMODnet, with national hydrographic source-reference audit official hydrographic-chart depth models, so the contours are chart-derived rather than computer-modeled; no directly measured sounding coverage is claimed.
Official coastal monitoring from Iceland national fisheries and coastal monitoring agencies informs the atlantic cod, haddock, saithe (coalfish), atlantic mackerel, atlantic herring, atlantic halibut, ling, cusk (tusk) roster for Hvalfjörður - 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.
Deepest basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 252 ft of water that rates prime for haddock in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For atlantic cod, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Hvalfjörður - West is regulated by the Government of Iceland fisheries guidance. Check the official Iceland regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Hvalfjörður - East 8 mi · Þorlákshöfn Að Svörtuloftum - Sector 23 8 mi · Þorlákshöfn Að Svörtuloftum - Sector 22 17 mi · Hafnir Að Gróttu - North East 17 mi · Þorlákshöfn Að Svörtuloftum - Sector 27 20 mi · Hafnir Að Gróttu - Central East 22 mi · Hafnir Að Gróttu - North 23 mi · Hafnir Að Gróttu - Central 27 mi · Þorlákshöfn Að Svörtuloftum - Sector 15 29 mi · Þorlákshöfn Að Svörtuloftum - Sector 09 34 mi · Þorlákshöfn Að Svörtuloftum - Sector 31 39 mi · Þorlákshöfn Að Svörtuloftum - Sector 04 40 mi
Browse all Iceland fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: EMODnet, with national hydrographic source-reference audit EMODnet Bathymetry DTM 2024 mean-depth grid — official Icelandic MFRI/ISL hydrographic DTM with traceable CDI surveys (Lowest Astronomical Tide (LAT); 98% from official hydrographic-chart depth models, 2% source-interpolated; no directly measured sounding coverage is claimed). 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.