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1,754-acre Loire Estuary. North West 2 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 lower Loire, Saint-Nazaire approaches and adjacent coast, with navigation channels, plume edges and broad sand banks. This page covers the north west 2 angler-scale survey window. The water tops out around 40 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Traced from the shoreline, Loire Estuary - North West 2 runs 1,754 acres with 7.9 miles of edge. At index 1.3 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. 88% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Call it 3.1 mi long by 1.2 mi wide at the broadest reach. The nearest mapped water is Loire Estuary - North West 3, 7 mi to the east.
Loire Estuary — North West 2, France : carte SHOM officielle jusqu’à 12 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.
Start shallow in spring: european seabass sit in 3 to 25 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 2 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 40 ft. The spot to know is SHOM-grid current seam, a current seam in about 16 ft of water that rates prime for european seabass in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a surface lure or a paddle-tail soft plastic until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid current seam (16 ft) | Paddle-tail soft plastic, Shallow minnow plug |
| Summer | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid current seam (16 ft) | Surface lure, Paddle-tail soft plastic |
| Fall | 4 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid current seam (16 ft) | Slim metal lure, Minnow plug |
| Winter | 7 to 40 ft | midday | SHOM-grid basin (34 ft) | Slow soft-plastic shad, Suspending minnow |
Early season common sole use the shallows, holding in 6 to 30 ft. Even in summer they hold at 3 to 30 ft; winter keeps them in 11 to 40 ft. The chart's best answer is SHOM-grid flat — feeding flat, 4 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is the evening. Tie on a light rolling-lead rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 6 to 30 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid channel edge (21 ft) | Tiny bottom jig |
| Summer | 3 to 30 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid flat (4 ft) | Light rolling-lead rig |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid channel edge (21 ft) | Compact bottom jig |
| Winter | 11 to 40 ft | night | SHOM-grid basin (34 ft) |
Come spring, look for european flounder tight to the bank in 5 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 6 to 35 ft, then a winter hold in 12 to 40 ft. Start at SHOM-grid flat. It's a feeding flat holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A bottom jig with spinner blade is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid flat (4 ft) | Small bucktail dragged on bottom |
| Summer | 6 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid flat (4 ft) | Bottom jig with spinner blade |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dusk | Sharp break (23 ft) | Compact bottom jig |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | SHOM-grid basin (34 ft) | Small bottom jig |
Start shallow in spring: european plaice sit in 8 to 35 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 6 to 40 ft; cold water stacks them in 12 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: SHOM-grid channel edge, a channel edge in the 21 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a light spooned bottom rig or a beaded trace until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 35 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid shoal (7 ft) | Beaded flowing trace |
| Summer | 6 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid flat (4 ft) | Light spooned bottom rig, Beaded trace |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid channel edge (21 ft) | Beaded bottom trace |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | SHOM-grid basin (34 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: whiting sit in 11 to 40 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 11 to 40 ft covers summer, 9 to 40 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: SHOM-grid channel edge, a channel edge in the 21 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small vertical jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 11 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid channel edge (21 ft) | Small silver jig, Two-hook feather rig |
| Summer | 11 to 40 ft | dawn | SHOM-grid basin (34 ft) | Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 7 to 40 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid channel edge (21 ft) | Small silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 9 to 40 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid basin (34 ft) | Compact vertical jig |
Spring puts garfish in skinny water — 1 to 15 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 2 to 20 ft, wintering in 12 to 40 ft. Spring garfish concentrate at Shoreline point, a prime-rated point around 7 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A slim casting spoon or a surface-skipping fly covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 15 ft | dawn & midday | Shoreline point (7 ft) | Slim silver spoon, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 2 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (7 ft) | Slim casting spoon, Surface-skipping fly |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid current seam (16 ft) | Weighted slim spoon, Small silver jig |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | SHOM-grid basin (34 ft) |
Loire Estuary - North West 2 also holds atlantic mackerel (8 to 40 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 40 ft in summer), thornback ray (6 to 40 ft in summer), european eel (6 to 28 ft in summer), atlantic salmon (11 to 40 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
9 pieces of structure are mapped here — SHOM-grid basin, around 34 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Loire Estuary - North West 2 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 →
Loire Estuary - North West 2 is about 40 ft (12 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 Loire Estuary - North West 2. 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 16 ft of water that rates prime for european seabass in summer. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Loire Estuary - North West 2 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.
Loire Estuary - North West 3 7 mi · Vilaine Estuary - South East 9 mi · Loire Estuary - South West 2 17 mi · Vilaine Estuary - South Central 19 mi · Loire Estuary - South West 1 21 mi · Golfe du Morbihan - South East 21 mi · Golfe du Morbihan - Middle East 25 mi · Baie de Bourgneuf - North West 27 mi · Quiberon and Belle-Île - South West 4 28 mi · Quiberon and Belle-Île - Middle West 4 29 mi · Baie de Bourgneuf - South West 36 mi · Quiberon and Belle-Île - South West 3 37 mi
See how Loire Estuary - North West 2 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.