Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeRiver depth chart
Today's read
Rating depth structure for zander.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
7,482-acre river near Rotterdam. The river tops out around 61 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency 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.
On the chart, Nieuwe Maas draws 7,133 acres inside 90.3 miles of shoreline, broken up by 6 islands. With a shoreline index of 7.6, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. 45% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. The basin spans about 13 mi end to end and 3.3 mi across at its widest. For a second option, Oude Maas lies 2 mi southeast.
Vis- en dieptekaart van Nieuwe Maas, Nederland: gemeten dieptelijnen (Rijkswaterstaat) tot 19 m, met visstekken voor baars, snoekbaars, bot. De dieptelijnen zijn berekend uit gemeten bodemhoogten van Rijkswaterstaat en het officiële lokale streefpeil (NAP). Gebruik de kaart als visgids, nooit voor navigatie.
Spring puts european perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 28 ft; cold water stacks them in 12 to 33 ft. Weed flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring european perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small crankbait (perch pattern) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (2 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner #1-2 |
| Summer | 8 to 28 ft | dawn | Shallow feeding flat (13 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small crankbait (perch pattern) |
| Fall | 10 to 33 ft | midday | Sharp break (41 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Drop-shot on deep flats |
| Winter | 12 to 33 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (13 ft) | Tungsten jig + maggots, Small balance jig |
Spring puts zander in skinny water — 4 to 15 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 15 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 40 ft. Sharp break is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 41 ft, rated prime for fall zander. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A vertical softbait over humps or a deep crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Rock reef (2 ft) | Softbait on jighead (10-12 cm), Shallow crankbait at dusk |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Sharp break (41 ft) | Vertical softbait over humps, Deep crankbait |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Sharp break (41 ft) | Big softbait (12-16 cm) slow-rolled, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Sharp break (41 ft) | Vertical jig / mormyshka with bait, Slow blade bait |
Early season european flounder use the shallows, holding in 5 to 25 ft. Summer is a 6 to 35 ft game here, winter a 15 to 50 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow feeding flat — feeding flat, 13 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a bottom jig with spinner blade and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Shallow feeding flat (13 ft) | Small bucktail dragged on bottom |
| Summer | 6 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (13 ft) | Bottom jig with spinner blade |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dusk | Sharp break (41 ft) | Compact bottom jig |
| Winter | 15 to 50 ft | midday | Sharp break (41 ft) | Small bottom jig |
Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Spring northern pike concentrate at Weed flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 2 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (2 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (13 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (13 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow feeding flat (13 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: common carp in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 15 ft before dropping to 10 to 30 ft for winter. The spot to know is Weed flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for common carp in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (2 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow feeding flat (13 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | open water |
Count 13 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Surveyed deep channel, sits near 61 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Netherlands waters are set by the Sportvisserij Nederland (VISpas & VISplanner) — and special regulations can apply to Nieuwe Maas specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Netherlands fishing regulations →
Nieuwe Maas is about 61 ft (19 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target european perch, zander, european flounder, northern pike, common carp on Nieuwe Maas. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
Shallow feeding flat is the top-rated area: a feeding flat in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for european flounder in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For european perch, 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 Nieuwe Maas is regulated by the Sportvisserij Nederland (VISpas & VISplanner). Check the official Netherlands regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Oude Maas 2 mi · Hollandsche IJssel 5 mi · Dordtse Biesbosch 10 mi · Boven- en Beneden Merwede 12 mi · Brabantse Biesbosch 12 mi · Haringvliet-oost 17 mi · Bergsche Maas 20 mi · Nieuwe Waterweg 20 mi · Haringvliet-west 21 mi · Beneden Maas 21 mi · Delfland Coast 22 mi · Volkerak 24 mi
See how Nieuwe Maas stacks up: best zander lakes in Netherlands · best northern pike lakes in Netherlands · best european perch lakes in Netherlands · best common carp lakes in Netherlands
Browse all Netherlands fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: Rijkswaterstaat measured bed elevations and official target water levels, CC0. 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.