Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeSalt water depth chart
Today's read
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
128,506-acre Vendée and Île d’Yeu Coast. South 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 Vendée coast and Île d’Yeu approaches, with reefs, surf beaches, island current and port structure. This page covers the south west 3 angler-scale survey window. The water tops out around 144 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:
On the chart, Vendée and Île d’Yeu Coast - South West 3 draws 128,301 acres inside 57.5 miles of shoreline. At index 1.1 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. About 0% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. End to end it runs roughly 20.3 mi, about 19.6 mi across. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Vendée and Île d’Yeu Coast - South West 4, 12 mi east of here.
Vendée and Île d’Yeu Coast — South West 3, France : carte SHOM officielle jusqu’à 44 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 | — |
| orphie (Garfish) | official species listing | — |
| sole commune (Common Sole) | official species listing | — |
| barbue (Brill) | official species listing | — |
| raie bouclée (Thornback Ray) | 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 | — |
| bonite à dos rayé (Atlantic Bonito) | official species listing | — |
| dorade royale (Gilthead Seabream) | official species listing | — |
| maigre (Meagre) | official species listing | — |
| anguille européenne (European Eel) | official species listing | — |
Official species-evidence source.
In spring, european seabass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 25 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 2 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 55 ft. SHOM-grid point is the standout, a point at roughly 43 ft, rated good for fall european seabass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a surface lure or a paddle-tail soft plastic most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid flat (14 ft) | Paddle-tail soft plastic, Shallow minnow plug |
| Summer | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid flat (14 ft) | Surface lure, Paddle-tail soft plastic |
| Fall | 4 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid point (43 ft) | Slim metal lure, Minnow plug |
| Winter | 10 to 55 ft | midday | open water | Slow soft-plastic shad, Suspending minnow |
Early season atlantic mackerel use the shallows, holding in 5 to 45 ft. Expect a summer slide to 15 to 80 ft, then a winter hold in 30 to 120 ft. Put SHOM-grid current seam first on the milk run — a current seam near 58 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a feather rig or a small vertical jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid point (43 ft) | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 15 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (27 ft) | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid current seam (58 ft) | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 30 to 120 ft | midday | Sharp break (27 ft) | Small deep jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: garfish in 1 to 15 ft. As the season builds they drop to 2 to 20 ft, wintering in 20 to 60 ft. Top water on the chart: Sharp break, a drop-off in the 27 ft range, good in fall. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a slim casting spoon or a surface-skipping fly gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 15 ft | dawn & midday | open water | Slim silver spoon, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 2 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid shoal (24 ft) | Slim casting spoon, Surface-skipping fly |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (27 ft) | Weighted slim spoon, Small silver jig |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | SHOM-grid current seam (58 ft) |
When the water first warms, common sole slide up into 6 to 30 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 30 ft, winter 20 to 70 ft. Start at SHOM-grid flat. It's a feeding flat holding about 14 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run the evening. Keep a light rolling-lead rig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 6 to 30 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid flat (14 ft) | Tiny bottom jig |
| Summer | 3 to 30 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid flat (14 ft) | Light rolling-lead rig |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid flat (14 ft) | Compact bottom jig |
| Winter | 20 to 70 ft | night | SHOM-grid channel edge (72 ft) |
When the water first warms, brill slide up into 10 to 45 ft. Summer is a 6 to 50 ft game here, winter a 30 to 90 ft one. Start at SHOM-grid flat. It's a feeding flat holding about 14 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a small shad on a bottom jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 45 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid flat (14 ft) | Light bottom jig |
| Summer | 6 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid flat (14 ft) | Small shad on a bottom jig |
| Fall | 12 to 60 ft | midday | SHOM-grid flat (14 ft) | Compact bottom jig |
| Winter | 30 to 90 ft | midday | SHOM-grid channel edge (72 ft) |
When the water first warms, thornback ray slide up into 15 to 60 ft. Summer is a 10 to 65 ft game here, winter a 30 to 100 ft one. Start at SHOM-grid flat. It's a feeding flat holding about 14 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 60 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid flat (14 ft) | |
| Summer | 10 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | SHOM-grid flat (14 ft) | |
| Fall | 15 to 75 ft | dusk | SHOM-grid channel edge (72 ft) | |
| Winter | 30 to 100 ft | midday | SHOM-grid channel edge (72 ft) |
Vendée and Île d’Yeu Coast - South West 3 also holds thick-lipped grey mullet (1 to 18 ft in summer), flathead grey mullet (1 to 22 ft in summer), bluefish (5 to 30 ft in summer), atlantic bonito (5 to 90 ft in summer), gilthead seabream (2 to 45 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.
Structure-wise the chart holds 7 features, led in depth by Deepest basin at roughly 144 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 Vendée and Île d’Yeu Coast - South 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 →
Vendée and Île d’Yeu Coast - South West 3 is about 144 ft (44 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, atlantic mackerel, garfish, common sole, brill, thornback ray, thick-lipped grey mullet, flathead grey mullet, bluefish, atlantic bonito, gilthead seabream, meagre, european eel roster for Vendée and Île d’Yeu Coast - South 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 58 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic mackerel in fall. 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 Vendée and Île d’Yeu Coast - South 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.
Vendée and Île d’Yeu Coast - South West 4 12 mi · Vendée and Île d’Yeu Coast - South West 2 12 mi · Vendée and Île d’Yeu Coast - North West 3 14 mi · Vendée and Île d’Yeu Coast - North West 2 19 mi · Pertuis Breton - North West 20 mi · Pertuis Breton - South West 22 mi · Vendée and Île d’Yeu Coast - South West 1 24 mi · Baie de Bourgneuf - South Central 24 mi · Pertuis Breton - North Central 26 mi · Vendée and Île d’Yeu Coast - North West 1 29 mi · Pertuis d’Antioche - North West 31 mi · Pertuis Breton - South Central 31 mi
See how Vendée and Île d’Yeu Coast - South West 3 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.