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37,631-acre Iroise Sea. Middle West 3 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 exposed Iroise Sea from Ushant through the Brest approaches, with reefs, islands and strong Atlantic tide races. This page covers the middle west 3 angler-scale survey window. The water tops out around 156 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. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Iroise Sea - Middle West 3 maps at 37,607 acres behind 50.2 miles of shoreline. A middling shoreline index (1.8) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. Roughly 5% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 13.2 mi, about 10.7 mi across. Rade de Brest - South West sits 4 mi east — the closest neighbouring chart.
Iroise Sea — Middle West 3, France : carte SHOM officielle jusqu’à 48 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 | — |
| lieu jaune (Atlantic Pollock) | official species listing | — |
| lieu noir (Saithe (Coalfish)) | official species listing | — |
| cabillaud (Atlantic Cod) | official species listing | — |
| lingue (Ling) | official species listing | — |
| orphie (Garfish) | official species listing | — |
| barbue (Brill) | official species listing | — |
| raie bouclée (Thornback Ray) | official species listing | — |
| sole commune (Common Sole) | official species listing | — |
| mulet lippu (Thick-lipped Grey Mullet) | official species listing | — |
| mulet cabot (Flathead Grey Mullet) | official species listing | — |
| anguille européenne (European Eel) | official species listing | — |
Official species-evidence source.
When the water first warms, european seabass slide up into 3 to 25 ft. Summer is a 2 to 30 ft game here, winter a 10 to 55 ft one. Start at Shoreline point. It's a point holding about 17 ft of water and rates good come fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a surface lure or a paddle-tail soft plastic rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (17 ft) | Paddle-tail soft plastic, Shallow minnow plug |
| Summer | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (17 ft) | Surface lure, Paddle-tail soft plastic |
| Fall | 4 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (17 ft) | Slim metal lure, Minnow plug |
| Winter | 10 to 55 ft | midday | open water | Slow soft-plastic shad, Suspending minnow |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: atlantic mackerel in 5 to 45 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 15 to 80 ft before dropping to 30 to 120 ft for winter. The spot to know is SHOM-grid current seam, a current seam in about 62 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic mackerel in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a feather rig or a small vertical jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (17 ft) | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 15 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (25 ft) | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid current seam (62 ft) | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 30 to 120 ft | midday | Sharp break (25 ft) | Small deep jig |
Start shallow in spring: atlantic pollock sit in 8 to 100 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 12 to 150 ft, and winter fish settle into 25 to 156 ft. The spot to know is Rock reef, a rock pile in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic pollock in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a surface plug or a baitfish swimbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 100 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (10 ft) | Sandeel-pattern lure, Soft-plastic shad |
| Summer | 12 to 150 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (17 ft) | Surface plug, Baitfish swimbait |
| Fall | 15 to 156 ft | dawn | Rock reef (10 ft) | Metal jig, Minnow plug |
| Winter | 25 to 156 ft | midday | Sharp break (25 ft) | Slow metal jig, Weighted soft plastic |
When the water first warms, saithe (coalfish) slide up into 15 to 156 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 15 to 156 ft, winter 22 to 156 ft. Start at SHOM-grid current seam. It's a current seam holding about 62 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a speed jig or a heavy paddletail rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 156 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid current seam (62 ft) | Slim metal jig, Paddletail |
| Summer | 15 to 156 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (25 ft) | Speed jig, Heavy paddletail |
| Fall | 14 to 156 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid current seam (62 ft) | Metal jig, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 22 to 156 ft | midday | Deepest basin (155 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
Start shallow in spring: atlantic cod sit in 20 to 100 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 39 to 156 ft, and winter fish settle into 35 to 156 ft. The spot to know is Deepest basin, a deep basin in about 155 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic cod in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a heavy metal jig or a large soft-plastic jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 20 to 100 ft | dawn | Rock reef (10 ft) | Diamond jig, Heavy bucktail |
| Summer | 39 to 156 ft | dawn | Deepest basin (155 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large soft-plastic jig |
| Fall | 25 to 140 ft | dawn | Rock reef (10 ft) | Diamond jig, Bucktail with teaser |
| Winter | 35 to 156 ft | midday | Deepest basin (155 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
When the water first warms, ling slide up into 28 to 156 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 26 to 156 ft, winter 29 to 156 ft. Start at Sharp break. It's a drop-off holding about 25 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run midday. Keep a heavy vertical jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 28 to 156 ft | midday | Sharp break (25 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large soft-plastic jig |
| Summer | 26 to 156 ft | midday | Sharp break (25 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
| Fall | 27 to 156 ft | midday | Sharp break (25 ft) | Long metal jig |
| Winter | 29 to 156 ft | midday | Deepest basin (155 ft) | Heavy deep jig |
Iroise Sea - Middle West 3 also holds garfish (2 to 20 ft in summer), brill (6 to 50 ft in summer), thornback ray (10 to 65 ft in summer), common sole (3 to 30 ft in summer), thick-lipped grey mullet (1 to 18 ft in summer), flathead grey mullet (1 to 22 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.
9 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deepest basin, around 155 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Iroise Sea - Middle West 3 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 →
Iroise Sea - Middle West 3 is about 156 ft (48 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, atlantic pollock, saithe (coalfish), atlantic cod, ling, garfish, brill, thornback ray, common sole, thick-lipped grey mullet, flathead grey mullet, european eel roster for Iroise Sea - Middle West 3. 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 62 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic mackerel in fall. 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 Iroise Sea - Middle West 3 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.
Rade de Brest - South West 4 mi · Iroise Sea - Middle West 2 10 mi · Rade de Brest - South Central 10 mi · Iroise Sea - Middle West 4 11 mi · Iroise Sea - South West 3 11 mi · Iroise Sea - South West 4 14 mi · Iroise Sea - South West 2 15 mi · Iroise Sea - Middle West 5 17 mi · Iroise Sea - Middle West 1 19 mi · Rade de Brest - South East 20 mi · Iroise Sea - South West 5 20 mi · Baie de Douarnenez - South West 21 mi
See how Iroise Sea - Middle West 3 stacks up: best garfish lakes in France · best european seabass lakes in France · best common sole lakes in France · best thick-lipped grey mullet 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.