Fishing in the Lakes Region & Lake Winnipesaukee

1. Lake Winnipesaukee (Lake Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Landlocked Salmon, White Perch, Chain Pickerel)

Lake Winnipesaukee, Belknap/Carroll counties

Lake Winnipesaukee is New Hampshire's largest lake at 44,586 acres with 258 islands and over 200 miles of shoreline, offering world-class lake trout and smallmouth bass fishing with full-service marinas at Weirs Beach, Meredith, Wolfeboro, and Alton Bay.

2. Squam Lake (Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Chain Pickerel, White Perch)

Squam Lake, Grafton County

Squam Lake is a 6,791-acre lake made famous by the film On Golden Pond, offering excellent lake trout and smallmouth bass fishing with protected conservation lands along much of its 69 miles of shoreline.

3. Winnisquam Lake (Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, White Perch, Chain Pickerel)

Winnisquam Lake, Belknap County

Winnisquam Lake is a 4,264-acre lake connected to Lake Winnipesaukee via the Winnipesaukee River, offering excellent warmwater and coldwater fishing with multiple public boat launches.

4. Newfound Lake (Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Landlocked Salmon, White Perch, Cisco)

Newfound Lake, Grafton County

Newfound Lake is a 4,451-acre lake renowned for its pristine clarity — one of the cleanest lakes in New England — and excellent lake trout fishing with depths reaching 183 feet.

5. Lake Sunapee (Lake Trout, Landlocked Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, White Perch, Yellow Perch)

Lake Sunapee, Merrimack County

Lake Sunapee is a 4,079-acre lake at the foot of Mount Sunapee offering excellent lake trout and landlocked salmon fishing with a state park and beach.

6. Ossipee Lake (Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Chain Pickerel, Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, White Perch)

Ossipee Lake, Carroll County

Ossipee Lake is a 3,084-acre lake offering excellent bass fishing in the eastern Lakes Region near the Maine border with multiple campgrounds and public access.

7. Wentworth Lake (Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Chain Pickerel, White Perch)

Wentworth Lake, Carroll County

Wentworth Lake is a 514-acre lake near Wolfeboro offering excellent lake trout and smallmouth bass fishing in a quieter setting with good public access.

8. Lovell Lake (Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Chain Pickerel, White Perch)

Lovell Lake, Carroll County

Lovell Lake is a 510-acre lake on the Maine border near Wakefield offering good warmwater and coldwater fishing.

9. Merrymeeting Lake (Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, White Perch)

Merrymeeting Lake, Belknap County

Merrymeeting Lake is a 764-acre deep, cold lake in New Durham offering excellent lake trout fishing with depths exceeding 150 feet.

10. Waukewan Lake (Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Smallmouth Bass, White Perch)

Waukewan Lake, Belknap County

Waukewan Lake is a 693-acre lake in Meredith serving as the town's water supply, offering good trout and bass fishing with limited public access.

11. Lake Kanasatka (Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, White Perch)

Lake Kanasatka, Belknap County

Lake Kanasatka is a 346-acre lake in Moultonborough offering good coldwater fishing near Lake Winnipesaukee.

12. Lake Wicwas (Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Chain Pickerel, Rainbow Trout, White Perch)

Lake Wicwas, Belknap County

Lake Wicwas is a 343-acre lake in Meredith offering good warmwater fishing in a scenic Lakes Region setting.

13. Silver Lake (Belknap Co.) (Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Smallmouth Bass, White Perch)

Silver Lake, Belknap County

Silver Lake is a 749-acre lake in Belmont offering good trout and bass fishing with a public beach and boat launch.

14. Pemigewasset River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Fallfish)

Pemigewasset River, Grafton/Belknap counties

The Pemigewasset River flows 65 miles from the White Mountains through the Lakes Region to Franklin, offering excellent trout fishing with numerous public access points.

15. Big Dan Hole Pond (Brook Trout, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass)

Big Dan Hole Pond, Carroll County

Big Dan Hole Pond is a 97-acre remote pond in Ossipee offering excellent brook trout fishing with good winter ice fishing opportunities.

16. Little Dan Hole Pond (Brook Trout, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass)

Little Dan Hole Pond, Carroll County

Little Dan Hole Pond is a 48-acre pond adjacent to Big Dan Hole Pond offering good trout fishing in a quiet setting.

17. Suncook Lakes (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Smallmouth Bass, White Perch)

Suncook Lakes, Belknap County

The Suncook Lakes in Barnstead offer good trout fishing in a chain of small lakes with public access.

18. Shellcamp Pond (Largemouth Bass, Chain Pickerel, Bluegill, Yellow Perch)

Shellcamp Pond, Belknap County

Shellcamp Pond in Gilmanton offers good warmwater fishing for bass and panfish in a quiet setting.

19. Baxter Lake (Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Chain Pickerel, Rainbow Trout)

Baxter Lake, Belknap County

Baxter Lake is a 248-acre lake in Farmington offering good bass and trout fishing with a public boat launch.

20. White Oak Pond (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Smallmouth Bass)

White Oak Pond, Belknap County

White Oak Pond is a 98-acre pond in Holderness offering good trout fishing near Squam Lake.

21. Little Squam Lake (Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Chain Pickerel, White Perch)

Little Squam Lake, Grafton County

Little Squam Lake is a 344-acre lake connected to Squam Lake, offering good fishing with less boat traffic than the main lake.

22. Moultonborough Bay (Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Landlocked Salmon)

Moultonborough Bay, Carroll County

Moultonborough Bay is the northern arm of Lake Winnipesaukee offering excellent lake trout and salmon fishing in the winter through the ice.

23. Winter Harbor (Lake Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Chain Pickerel)

Winter Harbor, Carroll County

Winter Harbor is a 1,200-acre bay on the eastern side of Lake Winnipesaukee near Wolfeboro offering good fishing with protection from prevailing winds.

24. Alton Bay (Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Lake Trout, White Perch)

Alton Bay, Belknap County

Alton Bay is the southernmost reach of Lake Winnipesaukee offering good fishing and easy public access at the state boat launch.

25. Meredith Bay (Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Landlocked Salmon)

Meredith Bay, Belknap County

Meredith Bay on the western side of Lake Winnipesaukee offers excellent fishing near the town of Meredith with full-service marinas.

26. Center Harbor (Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Landlocked Salmon)

Center Harbor, Belknap County

Center Harbor on the north side of Lake Winnipesaukee offers good fishing near the town docks and public boat launch.

27. Wolfeboro Bay (Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Chain Pickerel)

Wolfeboro Bay, Carroll County

Wolfeboro Bay on the eastern shore of Lake Winnipesaukee offers good warmwater and coldwater fishing near the historic resort town.

28. Tilton River and Winnipesaukee River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Chain Pickerel)

Winnipesaukee River, Belknap County

The Winnipesaukee River connects Lake Winnipesaukee to Winnisquam Lake, offering good trout and bass fishing in the connecting waters.

29. Merrymeeting River (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Brown Trout)

Merrymeeting River, Belknap County

The Merrymeeting River flows from Merrymeeting Lake to Lake Winnipesaukee, offering good trout fishing in a stream setting.

30. Smith River (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Brown Trout)

Smith River, Belknap County

The Smith River flows through Bristol offering good trout fishing with public access points along Route 3A.

31. Grafton Pond (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Chain Pickerel)

Grafton Pond, Grafton County

Grafton Pond is a 271-acre pond in Grafton offering good trout and bass fishing in a rural setting.

32. Province Lake (Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Chain Pickerel, Rainbow Trout)

Province Lake, Carroll County

Province Lake is a 720-acre lake straddling the Maine-New Hampshire border near Effingham offering good bass fishing.

33. Crystal Lake (Gilford) (Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, White Perch, Chain Pickerel)

Crystal Lake, Belknap County

Crystal Lake in Gilford offers good trout and bass fishing in a small lake setting near Lake Winnipesaukee.

34. Halfmoon Lake (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Smallmouth Bass)

Halfmoon Lake, Belknap County

Halfmoon Lake in Barnstead offers good trout fishing in a quiet 100-acre lake setting.

35. Lake Tarleton (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Smallmouth Bass, White Perch)

Lake Tarleton, Grafton County

Lake Tarleton is a 327-acre lake in Piermont offering good trout fishing in the western Lakes Region near the Vermont border.

36. Lake Smith (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Smallmouth Bass, White Perch)

Lake Smith, Grafton County

Lake Smith is a 115-acre lake in Wentworth offering good trout and bass fishing in the western Lakes Region.

37. Stinson Lake (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Chain Pickerel)

Stinson Lake, Grafton County

Stinson Lake is a 456-acre lake in Rumney offering good trout and warmwater fishing with a public beach and boat launch.

38. Chalk Pond (Largemouth Bass, Chain Pickerel, Bluegill, Yellow Perch)

Chalk Pond, Belknap County

Chalk Pond is a 65-acre pond in Gilmanton offering good warmwater fishing for bass and panfish in a quiet setting.

39. Manning Lake (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Chain Pickerel)

Manning Lake, Belknap County

Manning Lake is a 144-acre lake in Gilmanton offering good trout fishing with a public boat launch.

40. Payson Lake (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, White Perch)

Payson Lake, Grafton County

Payson Lake is a 72-acre lake in Hebron offering good trout fishing in a quiet lakeside setting near Newfound Lake.