Artificial reefs (ARs) have been deployed in France primarily to sustain artisanal fishery; however, based on their perceptions of these coastal management tools they can also be frequented by other sea users. In this work, the perceptions of AR professional and recreational users (direct users only) were studied by focusing on three AR sites located along the Gulf of Lion coastline (northwestern Mediterranean Sea, France) to determine whether they were becoming multi-use sites or were negatively perceived. Between 2011 and 2012, semi-directed interviews with artisanal fishermen, recreational fishermen, recreational spear fishermen and SCUBA divers were conducted to characterize their profiles, levels of knowledge, and expectations regarding ARs and how well these expectations were satisfied. The results showed although ARs were designed for use by artisanal fishermen that they were also frequented by others, mainly the local populations. The enhancement of fish at AR locations to maintain target species (e.g. Sparus aurata, Mullus sp.) for fishing activities was a common expectation. There were also expectations specific to AR usage, which varied among the different sites and users. Several factors influenced user satisfaction, such as AR design and communications by local authorities regarding this coastal tool. The results of this study indicate that AR users have either neutral or positive perceptions regarding ARs. In addition to their ecological objectives, ARs have socio-economic potential; therefore effective strategies for their management should be explored.