On the eastern part of Quereau is an area of shoal ground called the Rocky Bottom, having a depth of about 18 fathoms; elsewhere depths run from 18 to 50 fathoms.  For the most part the bottom is rocky, but there are scattered patches of sand and gravel.

Cod and halibut are the principal food fishes taken, hake, haddock, and cusk being taken in small numbers.  The Rocky Bottom, a shoal ground of 20 to 25 fathom depths on the eastern part, was much resorted to by dory handliners in summer.  The cod are most plentiful on the eastern part of the bank, though occasional good fares are taken toward the west.  The best cod fishing on this bank is from May until September, when the schools gather to feed upon the lant, squid, crustaceans, and shellfish, then very abundant.

Halibut are found here all the year off the edges in 100 to 400 fathoms.  Apparently these are feeding and breeding grounds for this species, and it is not unusual for a school to remain for weeks and even months in one locality, though some of these may be fish in migration northward.

The principal halibut grounds are along the southern and eastern borders of the bank—­the Southwest Prong and the Southwest Cove (in about 44 deg.  N. lat. and between 58 deg. 30’ and 58 deg. 55’ W. long), the Middle Prong (44 deg. 14’ N. lat. and 58 deg.  W. long.), and the Eastern Slope (44 deg. 28’ to 45 deg. 00’ N. lat.)—­in depths of 150 to 400 fathoms.  These deep-water areas are rocky and support a very rich growth of gorgonians, corals, sea anemones, etc.  The Eastern Slope has an abundance of bank clams in depths of 25 fathoms.  These beds are good hand-line grounds for cod.  The halibut, too, feeds to a considerable extent upon these red clams.

The Stone Fence off the eastern slope of Quereau is a very rocky piece of ground full of “trees” (corals) in 250 fathoms.  This is a good halibut ground although it is almost impossible to haul the gear by hand and the use of the “gurdy” (a roller turned by a crank and fastened to the dory’s bow for winding up the trawl) becomes necessary.  Occasional fares of halibut are taken on and about the Rocky Bottom in 20 to 25 fathoms from July 1 to August 1.

The Gully.  This is the deep waterway between Banquereau and Sable Island or Western Bank.  It extends in an WNW. and an ESE. direction north of Sable Island, turning somewhat abruptly S. at its eastern end and continuing down between the eastern end of Western Bank and the Southwest Prong of Banquereau.  The entire length is about 80 miles, the greatest width about 20 miles.  Depths range from 68 to 145 fathoms over a bottom of rocks, gravel, sand, and mud.  The rocky and gravelly portions form several ridges separated by areas of finer materials, except in the eastern section, where the intervals between are mostly covered by pebbles and sharp rocks.  Ocean currents are generally westerly, of varying strength, much affected by the easterly winds.