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New Hampshire · Fishing
New Hampshire packs a surprising amount of fishable water into a small state. The 378 listings on Roamze cover everything from the sprawling 72-square-mile Lake Winnipesaukee near Moultonborough to quiet backwater spots like Hothole Pond
200 spots9 townsUpdated dailyFree to access
View on mapFishing · 200 spots
New Hampshire packs a surprising amount of fishable water into a small state. The 378 listings on Roamze cover everything from the sprawling 72-square-mile Lake Winnipesaukee near Moultonborough to quiet backwater spots like Hothole Pond near Loudon and Mud Pond near Deering that rarely see pressure on a weekday. Lake fishing dominates the options here, with ponds and reservoirs spread across every region of the state — Pawtuckaway Lake near Nottingham in the southeast, Bog Brook Reservoir near Grantham in the upper valley, Back Pond near Stewartstown up in Coos County near the Canadian border. River fishing is also in the mix, with listings like the stretch near Sugarloaf 2 Campground in Twin Mountain giving you access to moving water in the White Mountains corridor. The variety means you can target warmwater species like largemouth bass and yellow perch on lowland ponds in summer, then shift to coldwater fishing on deeper lakes and streams as seasons change. New Hampshire Fish and Game manages an active stocking program, so smaller waters like Cummings Meadow Reservoir near Jaffrey and Whittemore Lake near Bennington can fish well even when they look unassuming on a map. A valid New Hampshire fishing license is required for anyone 16 and older.
Late April through June is strong across most water types, right after ice-out when fish are active in the shallows and New Hampshire Fish and Game has completed its spring stocking runs. Fall, from September into October, is a second productive window, particularly on lakes like Lake Winnipesaukee and Pawtuckaway Lake where cooling water pushes fish into more predictable patterns. Summer midday heat slows surface activity on warmwater ponds, so early morning and the last two hours before dark are your best bets from July through August.
Yes, anyone 16 or older needs a valid New Hampshire fishing license. You can buy one online through the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department website, at most sporting goods stores, or at many town clerk offices. Non-resident licenses are available in one-day, three-day, and full-season options, which is worth knowing if you're only making a short trip to somewhere like Spectacle Pond near Marlborough or Pleasant Lake near Deerfield.
Elm Brook Park Rec Area
~18 min drive
A worthwhile stop near NH.
Little Pond
~4 min drive
A worthwhile stop near NH.
Winnipesaukee River - Franklin
~13 min drive
Easy
Sondogardy Pond
~7 min drive
A worthwhile stop near NH.
Contoocook River - Hopkinton
~13 min drive
Easy
Little Pond
~8 min drive
A worthwhile stop near NH.
Merrimack River - Concord Access
~18 min drive
Easy
Kimball Pond
~8 min drive
A worthwhile stop near NH.
Horseshoe Pond
~9 min drive
A worthwhile stop near NH.
Crane Neck Pond
~9 min drive
A worthwhile stop near NH.
Spender Pond
~11 min drive
A worthwhile stop near NH.
Spender Pond
~11 min drive
A worthwhile stop near NH.
Lake fishing
Sandwich, NH
riverFly fishing
Lisbon, NH
rainbow trout, brown trout
riverFly fishing
Errol, NH
brown trout, rainbow trout
Lake fishing
Ossipee, NH
Lake fishing
Hudson, NH
Lake fishing
Merrimack, NH
Lake fishing
Stewartstown, NH
Lake fishing
Lyndeborough, NH
Lake fishing
NH
Lake fishing
Warner, NH
Lake fishing
Warner, NH
Lake fishing
Coos Junction, NH
Lake fishing
Rindge, NH
Lake fishing
Rindge, NH
Lake fishing
NH
Lake fishing
Springfield, NH
Lake fishing
Washington, NH
Lake fishing
Washington, NH
Lake fishing
Chatham, NH
Lake fishing
Wilton, NH
Lake fishing
Allenstown, NH
Lake fishing
Washington, NH
Lake fishing
NH
Lake fishing
Candia, NH
Largemouth and smallmouth bass, yellow perch, chain pickerel, and rainbow trout are the most commonly targeted species across the lake and pond listings here. Larger waters like Lake Winnipesaukee hold lake trout and landlocked salmon in addition to bass and perch. Smaller impoundments like Greenville Reservoir near Temple and Bancroft Reservoir near Rindge tend to be stocked with trout and are good bets for perch and pickerel as well.
A medium-light spinning rod in the 6- to 7-foot range handles most situations on New Hampshire ponds, whether you're throwing small jigs for perch, working soft plastics for bass, or drifting a worm under a bobber for stocked trout. If you're fishing larger, deeper water like Lake Winnipesaukee and targeting lake trout or salmon, you'll want heavier tackle and likely a boat with the ability to troll or jig at depth. For river fishing near spots like the Twin Mountain area, a lighter rod and basic drift-fishing or spinner setup covers most scenarios.
Many of the smaller ponds and reservoirs in the listings, including spots like Horseshoe Pond near Canterbury, Nubble Pond near Farmington, and Mitchell Pond near Windham, have public access points where bank fishing is practical. That said, a kayak or canoe opens up a lot more water and lets you reach structure that bank anglers can't reach. On larger lakes like Pawtuckaway and Winnipesaukee, a motorized boat is a real advantage, though both have public boat launches.
