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30,444-acre Saint-Malo and Rance. North West France saltwater fishing map with official SHOM 20 m bathymetry, source-qualified fishing spots, official regional fish evidence, seasonal forage guidance, public shore-use context and current-rule links. Saint-Malo roadstead, the Rance mouth and nearby tidal islands, with constricted current and rock-to-sand breaks. This page covers the north west angler-scale survey window. The water tops out around 105 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 the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
The drawn water covers 30,477 acres wrapped in 52.4 miles of bank, with 15 islands in the mix. A middling shoreline index (2.1) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 12% of this chart. End to end it runs roughly 9.3 mi, about 6.5 mi across. Golfe Normand-Breton - North West 2 sits 6 mi north — the closest neighbouring chart.
Saint-Malo and Rance — North West, France : carte SHOM officielle jusqu’à 32 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.
Come spring, look for european seabass tight to the bank in 3 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 2 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 55 ft. Start at SHOM-grid current seam. It's a current seam holding about 41 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A surface lure or a paddle-tail soft plastic is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (14 ft) | Paddle-tail soft plastic, Shallow minnow plug |
| Summer | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (14 ft) | Surface lure, Paddle-tail soft plastic |
| Fall | 4 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid current seam (41 ft) | Slim metal lure, Minnow plug |
| Winter | 10 to 55 ft | midday | SHOM-grid channel edge (51 ft) | Slow soft-plastic shad, Suspending minnow |
Spring puts common sole in skinny water — 6 to 30 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 30 ft, and winter fish hold in 20 to 70 ft. SHOM-grid channel edge is the standout, a channel edge at roughly 51 ft, rated good for winter common sole. Plan around the evening in the warm months. A light rolling-lead rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 6 to 30 ft | dusk | open water | Tiny bottom jig |
| Summer | 3 to 30 ft | dusk | open water | Light rolling-lead rig |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dusk | Feeding flat (44 ft) | Compact bottom jig |
| Winter | 20 to 70 ft | night | SHOM-grid channel edge (51 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: european flounder sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 50 ft. The spot to know is Sharp break, a drop-off in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for european flounder in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a bottom jig with spinner blade until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Sharp break (14 ft) | Small bucktail dragged on bottom |
| Summer | 6 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (14 ft) | Bottom jig with spinner blade |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dusk | Sharp break (14 ft) | Compact bottom jig |
| Winter | 15 to 50 ft | midday | Sharp break (14 ft) | Small bottom jig |
Spring european plaice on Saint-Malo and Rance - North West hold shallow, usually 8 to 35 ft. By summer they slide out to 6 to 40 ft, and by winter most fish are in 25 to 80 ft. The chart's best answer is SHOM-grid channel edge — channel edge, 51 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a light spooned bottom rig or a beaded trace.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 35 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid shoal (18 ft) | Beaded flowing trace |
| Summer | 6 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid shoal (18 ft) | Light spooned bottom rig, Beaded trace |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid channel edge (51 ft) | Beaded bottom trace |
| Winter | 25 to 80 ft | midday | SHOM-grid channel edge (51 ft) |
Spring whiting on Saint-Malo and Rance - North West hold shallow, usually 15 to 55 ft. By summer they slide out to 20 to 70 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 70 ft. The chart's best answer is SHOM-grid channel edge — channel edge, 51 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a small vertical jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 55 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid channel edge (51 ft) | Small silver jig, Two-hook feather rig |
| Summer | 20 to 70 ft | dawn | SHOM-grid channel edge (51 ft) | Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 60 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid channel edge (51 ft) | Small silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 15 to 70 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid channel edge (51 ft) | Compact vertical jig |
Come spring, look for garfish tight to the bank in 1 to 15 ft. They move out to 2 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 60 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shoreline point: a point around 14 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A slim casting spoon or a surface-skipping fly is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 15 ft | dawn & midday | Shoreline point (14 ft) | Slim silver spoon, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 2 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (14 ft) | Slim casting spoon, Surface-skipping fly |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (14 ft) | Weighted slim spoon, Small silver jig |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | SHOM-grid current seam (41 ft) |
Saint-Malo and Rance - North West also holds atlantic mackerel (15 to 80 ft in summer), thick-lipped grey mullet (1 to 18 ft in summer), flathead grey mullet (1 to 22 ft in summer), brill (6 to 50 ft in summer), thornback ray (10 to 65 ft in summer), european eel (6 to 28 ft in summer), atlantic salmon (20 to 70 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 8 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deepest basin, sits near 104 ft.
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 Saint-Malo and Rance - North West 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 →
Saint-Malo and Rance - North West is about 105 ft (32 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, 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 Saint-Malo and Rance - North 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.
SHOM-grid channel edge is the top-rated area: a channel edge in about 51 ft of water that rates prime for whiting in spring. 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 Saint-Malo and Rance - North West 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.
Golfe Normand-Breton - North West 2 6 mi · Golfe Normand-Breton - South West 1 7 mi · Saint-Malo and Rance - North East 10 mi · Golfe Normand-Breton - North West 1 10 mi · West Cotentin Coast - South 1 West 12 mi · Baie de Saint-Brieuc - South West 4 13 mi · Golfe Normand-Breton - North West 3 14 mi · Golfe Normand-Breton - South West 3 15 mi · Baie de Saint-Brieuc - North West 4 17 mi · West Cotentin Coast - South 1 Central 18 mi · Baie de Saint-Brieuc - South West 3 20 mi · Golfe Normand-Breton - North West 4 21 mi
See how Saint-Malo and Rance - North West 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.