A major spawning ground of the European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) population in the Bay of Biscay is located near the mouth of the Gironde estuary. Variations in the river discharge affect the supply of nutrients to the coastal marine area encompassing anchovy spawning grounds. Two "Pegase" cruises (May-June 1997 and 1998) observed two contrasting situations: with and without a superficial layer of less saline water. Two new nutritional indices were used to assess potential effects (1) on carbohydrate assimilation rates by zooplankton estimated via pyruvate kinase (PK) activity measurements and (2) on nutritional condition of the anchovy larvae measured with the DNA/C index. Both indices indicated a much poorer situation in 1997 compared to 1998. Results of this study implicate river outflow rate as a potential factor influencing larval anchovy condition and perhaps to some extent recruitment variability.