Bay of Biscay · France

Arcachon Bay fishing forecast

Name: Arcachon Bay
Address: Bay of Biscay, FR

97 Good of 100

Arcachon Bay is a saltwater fishing spot in Bay of Biscay, France. Anglers here target European Seabass, Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, Atlantic Mackerel, Atlantic Bonito. The most productive months are typically June, July, August, September, October.

Quick answer

Best monthsJune, July, August, September

Top speciesEuropean Seabass, Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, Atlantic Mackerel

Score now97/100

Local rulesFrance

Today’s verdict

Ranks #1 of 439 spots FishRadar scored worldwide today

Trending up — 11 points above this spot’s 7-day average

Score confidence ±4 points, from 8 live signals

The statistical model disagrees with the physics model here today — treat this score with extra caution.

Helping the score most

Water temperature+25.0Chlorophyll+18.0Current+10.1

Working against it

Marine heatwave-2.0

Pressure trend

Pressure data unavailable

Best window today

08:00 · Light wind (0 km/h) and calm seas

Next solunar peak

minor 04:57

Current conditions

Sea surface temp	24.2 °C
Wind	6 km/h from ENE, gusting 8 km/h
Wave height	0.5 m at 6 s
Current	0.09 m/s toward S
Pressure	1018 hPa
Depth	1 m
Cloud cover	0%
Chlorophyll	1.68 mg/m³
Salinity	33.8 PSU
Mixed-layer depth	10 m
UV index	0
Wind sea	0.0 m at 0 s
Ground swell	0.4 m at 6 s from NW
Current shear (surface vs 50 m)	0.09 → 0.00 m/s

The water here is 5.0 °C warmer than the August average of 19.2 °C. Warmer-than-normal water pushes cool-water species deeper and brings warm-water species in earlier than the calendar suggests. The water is mixed to about 20.0 m, with the thermocline below that.

Updated 1 h ago.

What the score means at Arcachon Bay

Arcachon Bay currently scores 97 out of 100 (Good). Water temperature is 24.2 °C. 8 forecast signals are active in this score.

Water temperature +25.0: how close the water is to this species mix’s comfort band
Chlorophyll +18.0: plankton density — the base of the food chain
Current +10.1: moving water concentrates bait
Waves +9.0: swell energy stirring the water column
Wind +8.0: surface chop, oxygen and bait drift
Chlorophyll front +3.4: a plankton edge — classic feeding line

What’s biting now

The model expects today: atlantic-mackerel, bluefin-tuna, tub-gurnard, black-seabream, european-pilchard, conger-eel, ballan-wrasse, cuckoo-wrasse

[object Object] — Protected here — release immediately

Bite windows

Moon

Waning Crescent · 1% lit

Solunar day rating

70 / 100

Best months for Arcachon Bay:

Score history at this spot

15 days tracked at this exact location

Best recent day: 2026-08-06, 97/100

11 day(s) at 70+ in the tracked period

About this spot

Water type

Sea

Open coastal saltwater — conditions and safety depend heavily on the live wind, wave, and tide forecast, so check them before you head out.

Access & shore

Fishable from shore · offshore-only

What you can catch

European Seabass

Dicentrarchus labrax
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna

Thunnus thynnus
Atlantic Mackerel

Scomber scombrus
Atlantic Bonito

Sarda sarda

Best months by species at Arcachon Bay

European SeabassDicentrarchus labrax
Atlantic Bluefin TunaThunnus thynnus
Atlantic MackerelScomber scombrus
Atlantic BonitoSarda sarda

Typical months; local seasons and closures apply.

Local regulations

Ministère de la Transition écologique, de la Biodiversité, de la Forêt, de la Mer et de la Pêche

France

Species	Bag limit	Min size	Open season
European SeabassRegulation (EU) 2019/1241, Annex VI, Part A (Annex VII for Biscay, Annex IX for the Mediterranean)	—	min 42 cm	—
EU minimum conservation reference size for seabass differs by sea basin (Regulation (EU) 2019/1241): 42 cm in North Western Waters — the Channel and Brittany, ICES sub-area 7 — under Annex VI; 36 cm in South Western Waters — the Bay of Biscay, ICES sub-area 8 — under Annex VII; and 25 cm in the Mediterranean under Annex IX. FishRadar shows the strictest of the three. The northern seabass stock also has an annual recreational closed season and a daily bag limit set each year by EU/national measures, plus mandatory RecFishing catch declaration. Verify current limits before fishing.

Licensing:

saltwater-recreational — residents No paid licence for recreational sea fishing. From 2026, anglers aged 16+ must register every 12 months and declare daily catches of sensitive species (e.g. European seabass) via the EU RecFishing app. Minimum sizes, gear and zone/season restrictions apply., non-residents Same RecFishing registration and reporting obligations apply to non-residents fishing recreationally in French waters.
freshwater-recreational — residents Inland/freshwater fishing requires a "carte de pêche" from a local AAPPMA angling association (national network at cartedepeche.fr)., non-residents Non-residents need the same "carte de pêche" (annual, holiday or daily options available).

Some rules may have changed since our last verification — always confirm with the authority before you fish.

FishRadar regulations are summaries for informational purposes only. French recreational fishing rules are set nationally and by EU regulations (including seabass measures and Mediterranean minimum sizes), and vary by area and season. Always verify with the Ministère de la Mer at mer.gouv.fr before fishing.