Salt water depth chart
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9.986-acre Hvalfjörður. East 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 148 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. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
Traced from the shoreline, Hvalfjörður - East runs 9,986 acres with 21.7 miles of edge. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.5) — enough points and pockets to pattern. About 10% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. End to end it runs roughly 7.9 mi, about 3 mi across. For a second option, Hvalfjörður - West lies 8 mi southwest.
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.
Early season atlantic cod use the shallows, holding in 20 to 100 ft. Expect a summer slide to 37 to 148 ft, then a winter hold in 34 to 148 ft. Put Deepest basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 145 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a heavy metal jig or a large soft-plastic jig and you're in the game.
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 | 20 to 100 ft | dawn | Rock reef (9 ft) | Diamond jig, Heavy bucktail |
| Summer | 37 to 148 ft chart-limited; documented 45 to 180 ft | dawn | Deepest basin (145 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large soft-plastic jig |
| Fall | 25 to 140 ft | dawn | Rock reef (9 ft) | Diamond jig, Bucktail with teaser |
| Winter | 34 to 148 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 220 ft | midday | Deepest basin (145 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
Start shallow in spring: haddock sit in 24 to 148 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 28 to 148 ft covers summer, 26 to 148 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Deepest basin, a deep basin in the 145 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a compact metal jig or a bottom rig until the fish tell you otherwise.
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 | 24 to 148 ft chart-limited; documented 35 to 220 ft | dawn | Deepest basin (145 ft) | Small bottom jig, Beaded trace |
| Summer | 28 to 148 ft chart-limited; documented 60 to 320 ft | dawn | Deepest basin (145 ft) | Compact metal jig, Bottom rig |
| Fall | 26 to 148 ft chart-limited; documented 45 to 260 ft | midday | Deepest basin (145 ft) | Small vertical jig |
| Winter | 26 to 148 ft chart-limited; documented 70 to 400 ft | midday | Deepest basin (145 ft) | Deep bottom jig |
Start shallow in spring: saithe (coalfish) sit in 14 to 148 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 14 to 148 ft covers summer, 21 to 148 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Sharp break, a drop-off in about 97 ft of water that rates prime for saithe (coalfish) in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a speed jig or a heavy paddletail until the fish tell you otherwise.
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 | 14 to 148 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 160 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (14 ft) | Slim metal jig, Paddletail |
| Summer | 14 to 148 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 260 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (97 ft) | Speed jig, Heavy paddletail |
| Fall | 13 to 148 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 220 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (97 ft) | Metal jig, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 21 to 148 ft chart-limited; documented 45 to 320 ft | midday | Deepest basin (145 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
Come spring, look for atlantic mackerel tight to the bank in 5 to 45 ft. Expect a summer slide to 15 to 80 ft, then a winter hold in 30 to 120 ft. Start at Sharp break. It's a drop-off holding about 24 ft of water and rates good come summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A feather rig or a small vertical jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (14 ft) | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 15 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (24 ft) | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (24 ft) | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 30 to 120 ft | midday | Sharp break (97 ft) | Small deep jig |
Start shallow in spring: atlantic herring sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 15 to 50 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 60 ft. The spot to know is Sharp break, a drop-off in about 24 ft of water that rates good for atlantic herring in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a herring feather rig or a small silver jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (9 ft) | Small herring feather rig, Micro jig rig |
| Summer | 15 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (24 ft) | Herring feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Fall | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (24 ft) | Small feather rig, Compact silver spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Sharp break (24 ft) | Small silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
In spring, atlantic halibut run shallow here, mostly 19 to 148 ft. Summer keeps them at 12 to 148 ft, and they winter in 25 to 148 ft. Winter atlantic halibut concentrate at Deepest basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 145 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a large swimbait or a slow metal jig most summer days.
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 | 19 to 148 ft chart-limited; documented 45 to 350 ft | dawn | Sharp break (97 ft) | Large paddletail, Heavy bottom jig |
| Summer | 12 to 148 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 300 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (97 ft) | Large swimbait, Slow metal jig |
| Fall | 18 to 148 ft chart-limited; documented 45 to 380 ft | midday | Sharp break (97 ft) | Heavy paddletail, Bottom jig |
| Winter | 25 to 148 ft chart-limited; documented 100 to 600 ft | midday | Deepest basin (145 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
Hvalfjörður - East also holds ling (25 to 148 ft in summer), cusk (tusk) (25 to 148 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
12 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deepest basin, around 145 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 - East 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 - East is about 148 ft (45 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 - East. 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 145 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic cod in winter. Open the map above to see every rated 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 - East 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 - West 8 mi · Þorlákshöfn Að Svörtuloftum - Sector 23 16 mi · Þorlákshöfn Að Svörtuloftum - Sector 22 24 mi · Hafnir Að Gróttu - North East 25 mi · Þorlákshöfn Að Svörtuloftum - Sector 27 27 mi · Hafnir Að Gróttu - Central East 29 mi · Hafnir Að Gróttu - North 31 mi · Þorlákshöfn Að Svörtuloftum - Sector 15 34 mi · Hafnir Að Gróttu - Central 35 mi · Þorlákshöfn Að Svörtuloftum - Sector 09 37 mi · Þorlákshöfn Að Svörtuloftum - Sector 04 42 mi · Þorlákshöfn Að Svörtuloftum - Sector 08 47 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.