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23,401-acre river near Venlo. The river tops out around 110 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
The drawn water covers 27,222 acres wrapped in 170 miles of bank, broken up by 3 islands. The 7.4 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 45% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. End to end it runs roughly 41.9 mi, about 13.7 mi across. Maas-Waalkanaal sits 26 mi north — the closest neighbouring chart.
Vis- en dieptekaart van Zandmaas, Nederland: gemeten dieptelijnen (Rijkswaterstaat) tot 34 m, met visstekken voor baars, snoekbaars, snoek. De dieptelijnen zijn berekend uit gemeten bodemhoogten van Rijkswaterstaat en het officiële lokale streefpeil (NAP). Gebruik de kaart als visgids, nooit voor navigatie.
When the water first warms, european perch slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 28 ft, and by winter most fish are in 12 to 33 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Measured shallow feeding flat: a feeding flat around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a drop-shot micro plastics or a small crankbait (perch pattern) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Measured shallow feeding flat (8 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner #1-2 |
| Summer | 8 to 28 ft | dawn | Measured shallow feeding flat (8 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small crankbait (perch pattern) |
| Fall | 10 to 33 ft | midday | open water | Jigging spoon (small), Drop-shot on deep flats |
| Winter | 12 to 33 ft | midday & dawn | Measured shallow feeding flat (25 ft) | Tungsten jig + maggots, Small balance jig |
When the water first warms, zander slide up into 4 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 15 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Measured shallow feeding flat: a feeding flat around 25 ft that scores good in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Keep a vertical softbait over humps or a deep crankbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Softbait on jighead (10-12 cm), Shallow crankbait at dusk |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Measured shallow feeding flat (25 ft) | Vertical softbait over humps, Deep crankbait |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | open water | Big softbait (12-16 cm) slow-rolled, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Vertical jig / mormyshka with bait, Slow blade bait |
Spring northern pike on Zandmaas hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. The chart's best answer is Measured shallow feeding flat — feeding flat, 8 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Measured shallow feeding flat (8 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Measured shallow feeding flat (8 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Measured shallow feeding flat (8 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Measured shallow feeding flat (8 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for common carp tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 3 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Measured shallow feeding flat: a feeding flat around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Measured shallow feeding flat (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Measured shallow feeding flat (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Measured shallow feeding flat (8 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | open water |
Structure-wise the chart holds 12 features, led in depth by Measured deep channel at roughly 110 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 Zandmaas specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Netherlands fishing regulations →
Zandmaas is about 110 ft (34 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target european perch, zander, northern pike, common carp on Zandmaas. 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.
Measured shallow feeding flat is the top-rated area: a feeding flat in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for european perch in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Zandmaas 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.
Maas-Waalkanaal 26 mi · Bedijkte Maas 28 mi · Midden Limburgse en Noord-Brabantse kanalen 30 mi · Julianakanaal 32 mi · Grensmaas 32 mi · Bovenrijn, Waal 33 mi · Nederrijn, Lek 38 mi · Beneden Maas 40 mi · Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal Betuwepand 42 mi · Bovenmaas 47 mi · Valleikanaal 48 mi · Lunterse Beek 48 mi
See how Zandmaas 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 or 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.