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74,851-acre Thau and Montpellier Coast. South Central 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. Étang de Thau, its canals and the Montpellier coast, with lagoon flats, shellfish grounds, passes and beach contours. This page covers the south central angler-scale survey window. The water tops out around 293 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. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
The outline encloses 74,767 acres, worked by 44.9 miles of shoreline. Nearly circular (index 1.2), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 2% of this chart. End to end it runs roughly 16.1 mi, about 13.6 mi across. Its nearest charted neighbour, Béziers and Agde Coast - North East, is 9 mi to the west.
Thau and Montpellier Coast — South Central, France : carte SHOM officielle jusqu’à 89 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 | — |
| orphie (Garfish) | official species listing | — |
| mulet lippu (Thick-lipped Grey Mullet) | official species listing | — |
| mulet cabot (Flathead Grey Mullet) | official species listing | — |
| tassergal (Bluefish) | official species listing | — |
| dorade royale (Gilthead Seabream) | official species listing | — |
| rouget-barbet (Red Mullet) | official species listing | — |
| maquereau commun (Atlantic Mackerel) | official species listing | — |
| maigre (Meagre) | official species listing | — |
| anguille européenne (European Eel) | official species listing | — |
Official species-evidence source.
Spring european seabass on Thau and Montpellier Coast - South Central hold shallow, usually 3 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 2 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 55 ft. The chart's best answer is Shoreline point — point, 11 ft, good for fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a surface lure or a paddle-tail soft plastic.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (11 ft) | Paddle-tail soft plastic, Shallow minnow plug |
| Summer | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (11 ft) | Surface lure, Paddle-tail soft plastic |
| Fall | 4 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (11 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: common sole in 6 to 30 ft. The depth story barely changes: 3 to 30 ft through summer, 20 to 70 ft in winter. The spot to know is SHOM-grid flat, a feeding flat in about 29 ft of water that rates prime for common sole in spring. Plan around the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a light rolling-lead rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 6 to 30 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid flat (29 ft) | Tiny bottom jig |
| Summer | 3 to 30 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid flat (29 ft) | Light rolling-lead rig |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid flat (29 ft) | Compact bottom jig |
| Winter | 20 to 70 ft | night | open water |
Early season garfish use the shallows, holding in 1 to 15 ft. Summer is a 2 to 20 ft game here, winter a 20 to 60 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shoreline point — point, 11 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a slim casting spoon or a surface-skipping fly and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 15 ft | dawn & midday | Shoreline point (11 ft) | Slim silver spoon, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 2 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (11 ft) | Slim casting spoon, Surface-skipping fly |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (11 ft) | Weighted slim spoon, Small silver jig |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Sharp break (49 ft) |
Spring thick-lipped grey mullet on Thau and Montpellier Coast - South Central hold shallow, usually 1 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 1 to 18 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 35 ft. Prime time lands in early morning and midday. The summer box starts with a bread fly or a small shrimp fly.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 15 ft | dusk | open water | Bread fly, Tiny algae-pattern fly |
| Summer | 1 to 18 ft | dawn & midday | open water | Bread fly, Small shrimp fly |
| Fall | 2 to 22 ft | dusk | open water | Bread fly |
| Winter | 8 to 35 ft | midday | open water |
Spring puts flathead grey mullet in skinny water — 2 to 18 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 1 to 22 ft; cold water stacks them in 12 to 45 ft. SHOM-grid flat is the standout, a feeding flat at roughly 29 ft, rated good for summer flathead grey mullet. Plan around early morning and midday in the warm months. A bread fly or a small algae-pattern fly covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 18 ft | dusk | open water | Bread fly, Tiny shrimp fly |
| Summer | 1 to 22 ft | dawn & midday | SHOM-grid flat (29 ft) | Bread fly, Small algae-pattern fly |
| Fall | 4 to 28 ft | midday | open water | Bread fly |
| Winter | 12 to 45 ft | midday | open water |
Early season bluefish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 5 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 40 ft. Put Shoreline point first on the milk run — a point near 11 ft that grades good for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (11 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Shoreline point (11 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | open water | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Thau and Montpellier Coast - South Central also holds gilthead seabream (2 to 45 ft in summer), red mullet (4 to 70 ft in summer), atlantic mackerel (15 to 80 ft in summer), meagre (8 to 100 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.
The chart marks 9 structure features on Thau and Montpellier Coast - South Central; the deepest is Deepest basin at about 291 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 Thau and Montpellier Coast - South Central 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 →
Thau and Montpellier Coast - South Central is about 293 ft (89 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 MEDITS and PELMED regional survey evidence informs the european seabass, common sole, garfish, thick-lipped grey mullet, flathead grey mullet, bluefish, gilthead seabream, red mullet, atlantic mackerel, meagre, european eel roster for Thau and Montpellier Coast - South Central. 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 flat is the top-rated area: a feeding flat in about 29 ft of water that rates prime for common sole in spring. The interactive chart above rates every 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 Thau and Montpellier Coast - South Central 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.
Béziers and Agde Coast - North East 9 mi · Thau and Montpellier Coast - North Central 9 mi · Thau and Montpellier Coast - South East 11 mi · Béziers and Agde Coast - South East 13 mi · Camargue and Western Gulf of Lion - South West 1 14 mi · Thau and Montpellier Coast - North East 15 mi · Camargue and Western Gulf of Lion - North West 1 19 mi · Béziers and Agde Coast - South Central 20 mi · Camargue and Western Gulf of Lion - South West 2 24 mi · Camargue and Western Gulf of Lion - North West 2 24 mi · Narbonne and Gruissan Coast - North East 24 mi · Narbonne and Gruissan Coast - South East 29 mi
See how Thau and Montpellier Coast - South Central stacks up: best bluefish 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.