WHY FISH NH? New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Just step outside to find scenic fishing here in wild Take Me New Hampshire – we’ve got great fishing around every corner: ™ u Fishing! 12,000 miles of river and streams. u 975 lakes and ponds. u Fishing for bass, trout, salmon, pike, walleye, pickerel, Lakes Region perch and more… u Record big fish – and some wily wild fish too! u Scenic vistas and wildlife abound. u Nearly a million trout stocked each year – just for you! Learn more about fishing in New Hampshire at fishnh.com © SCULPIES / DREAMSTIME.COM Shoreline Fishing Guide EMPIPE / DREAMSTIME.COM © New Hampshire Fish and Game Connecting you to life outdoors™ NEW HAMPSHIRE FISH AND GAME DEPARTMENT 11 Hazen Drive l Concord, NH 03301 l (603) 271-2501 Your purchase of fishing tackle and motorboat fuels, along with license sales, helps fund sport fish restoration and management in New Hampshire fishnh.com Fish the Lakes Region, where 113 the water meets the mountains 109 25 SQUAM MOULTONBOROUGH 175 LAKE 16 25 New Hampshire’s scenic Lakes Region has something 25 for every angler. Highlighted by large lakes renowned 171 3 for their landlocked salmon, trout and smallmouth bass TUFTONBORO MEREDITH 28 fishing, the area also has sparkling streams and rivers 109 WOLFEBORO and many smaller lakes and ponds with plentiful cold and 104 3 LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE warmwater fishing opportunities. 106 109 Read on for a small sampling of the many shoreline SANBORNTON LACONIA 11 sites to cast your line in the Lakes Region…plus tips on 132 WINNISQUAM GILFORD LAKE baits to use and a chart to help you identify the fish you 28 NEW 3 DURHAM catch. Featured areas include: 93 107 ALTON TILTON BELMONT l GILMANTON Pemigewasset Lake 11 140 NORTHFIELD l Waukewan Lake 106 28 l Lake Winnipesaukee CANTERBURY LOUDON 107 BARNSTEAD l Winnisquam Lake and Opechee Bay Catch-and-Release l To remove the hook, gently back it out of A fish that is properly handled will have the the fish’s mouth; use pliers if needed. best chance for survival. Here’s how: l Have your tools ready to minimize release l Land the fish quickly to avoid exhaus- time. tion and stress. l Use rubber or other “fish friendly” l Use extreme care when unhooking and landing nets. releasing fish. l Release the fish while it’s still in the water. l NEVER shake a fish off the hook. l NEVER unhook a fish suspended in the air. l NEVER sharply pull hooks out while the fish is moving and twisting. l Remember – all hook styles and sizes can cause damage. l Selectively harvest severely wounded fish. DAVE WEBB PHOTO / DREAMSTIME.COM WEBB PHOTO DAVE © At different times of year, more than a dozen fish species can be caught from shore in Lakes Region waters. Fish of New Hampshire’s Lakes Region Fish Identification Chart Use this handy guide to choose the best baits and to see what kind of ELLEN EDMONSON/NYSDEC fish you’ve caught. Cusk, © Lake Trout Baits to Use Landlocked Salmon NHFG/VICTOR YOUNG; YOUNG; NHFG/VICTOR Natural Baits Worms Grasshoppers and and crickets salmon, © Landlocked crawlers Cusk Rainbow Trout Crayfish Minnows USFWS/TIMMOTHY KNEPP; KNEPP; USFWS/TIMMOTHY © Hellgrammites Dough ball and corn Lake trout, Lake /USFWS ; /USFWS ; Smallmouth Bass Largemouth Bass Artificial Baits RAVER DUANE © Flies (wet, dry, Jigs and streamers) curl tail grubs Spoons Crank baits Bluegill Black Crappie In-line spinner baits Topwater baits (popper) Artificial putty baits White Perch fishnh.com Pumpkinseed ) horned pout Yellow Perch Yellow Chain Pickerel Rainbow trout, Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Bluegill, Black crappie, Pumpkinseed, White perch, Brown bullhead, Yellow perch, Chain pickerel, perch, Chain pickerel, Yellow bullhead, White perch, Brown Pumpkinseed, crappie, Bluegill, Black Smallmouth bass, trout, Largemouth bass, Rainbow Bullhead ( Match Your Bait to Your Catch Fish Illustrations: Fish Illustrations: Kids under age 16 fish for free. See stocking info and fishing reports at: www.fishnh.com/fishing/trout-stocking.html Winnisquam Lake & GOVERNORS OLD MAIN S Opechee Bay STATE PARK 3 TR E E A long, narrow glacially formed T N . lake, Winnisquam features rainbow M A Lakeport Dam IN S T and lake trout, smallmouth bass and R E E white perch. Nearby Opechee Bay is T 3 an often-overlooked waterbody that OPECHEE offers multi-species fishing within BAY walking distance of downtown Laconia. 2 1. Winnisquam Boat Launch LACONIA OPECHEE SANBORNTON S HO Fish and Game’s award- R E PARK 3 D R PLEA winning accessible launch site IV STREET E SANT STREET provides early season shoreline WINNISQUAM opportunities for coldwater fish LAKE R E S S E M like salmon and trout. During H STREET the summer months, try for CHURC largemouth bass and yellow perch. D STREET T 2. Opechee Park HIGHLAN WATER STREE With plenty of room on this ET 1 Fa PINE STRE ir B St unique peninsula, you’ll find ay . S opportunities for rainbow trout t. 106 STREET P RO and warmwater species like Y 3 V IN C E smallmouth bass and yellow CADEM ST R A E E perch. A good spot to enjoy the T day; a beach and playground 11 3 round out the fun. 107 L 3. Below the Lakeport Dam 11 A D D Cast your line for early season H I L L R rainbow trout and landlocked 3 D BELMONT. salmon, as well as summer D . OA BI D LL R SH smallmouth bass. Good shoreline R OLD D HI D O 106 L LAD A P IL O H R D D L R access on both sides of the inlet. A L O L I H A D 0 3 E L Plenty of access for the angler 1 2 I M on foot. MILES View of Opechee Bay from below the Lakeport Dam. NHFG / YOUNG VICTOR © For panfish, also try a small artificial fly or jig under a bobber. Sport Fish Restoration funds help manage N.H.’s fisheries. Pemigewasset & Waukewan Lakes Numerous smaller lakes dot the region, offering excellent warm and coldwater fisheries and a chance for a more solitary fishing experience. These include: 1. Pemigewasset Lake Anglers of all abilities have a chance to catch six different warmwater fish species from this scenic spot. A Fish and Game cartop access site includes an accessible fishing platform that cantilevers out over the lake. Plenty of parking. 2. Waukewan Lake In the heart of the Lakes Region, the south end of Waukewan – the entire shoreline next to the railroad – offers ample access with good parking. Fishing highlights include rainbow trout and many warmwater species. NHFG / YOUNG VICTOR © ROAD HAWKINS A ON IN POND W 132 3 You’ll have a great shot at WINONA catching warmwater species like LAKE 106 largemouth bass, black crappie, 25 yellow perch and pickerel right off WAUKEWAN the casting platform at the Fish LAKE and Game cartop access site at W IN O Pemigewasset Lake. N A H 2 R D NEW HAMPTON A O MEREDITH 93 A T A C O D R H BAY L L I R O H C A D O R N A E WAUKEWAN ST. N R A D S T P I A E R R A T O S S E A D 104 132 1 R O A 3 MEREDITH D 104 M E R E D IT H WICKWAS PEMIGEWASSET C LAKE E LAKE N T E R PINNACLE HAMLIN CHEMUNG R EAMES O PARK REC AND STATE A REC AND D CONSERV 106 WILDLIFE FOREST AREA AREA 132 LACONIA © DEWITT / DREAMSTIME.COM 0 1 2 3 MILES Pound for pound, smallmouth bass are known as the hardest-fighting fish. The cry of the common loon is the song of the Lakes Region. B E A N 25 R D . R D 25B LAKE SHORE A Lake Winnipesaukee L 109 P I N E P A R New Hampshire’s iconic lake, K R D . stretching 28 miles across the center 1 25 D. L R of the state, offers endless angling IL H LE 25 O opportunities. Town sites also have C MOULTONBOROUGH food, shops and ice cream to enjoy. 25B CENTER 1. Center Harbor Town Docks/Town Beach HARBOR One of the prettiest places in the region to cast a line from shore. Similar access and species as Meredith Town Docks, 3 25 but not quite as busy. 25 2. Meredith Town Docks 3 25 at Hesky Park 25 A popular, bustling MEREDITH Long I. destination with shoreline 2 Meredith Neck Bear I. fishing access on the big SWASEY 104 lake. Anglers seek early PARK MEREDITH season salmon and rainbows BAY 3 LAKE here, and other species WAUKEWAN Governors I. throughout the summer. LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE LACONIA 11B 104 3 3 PAUGUS 11 BAY SANBORNTON Far-reaching town OPECHEE 11A docks like the one BAY 3 3 at Center Harbor, 11 GILFORD seen at left, offer WINNISQUAM outstanding early LAKE season fishing for landlocked 3 salmon, rainbow 11 trout and the 106 occasional lake trout, plus 107 excellent cover for BELMONT GILMANTON bass, perch and 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 pickerel at other times of year. MILES NHFG / YOUNG VICTOR © N.H.’s record white perch weighed in at 3 lbs. 11.5 oz, from Lake Winnipesaukee Prevent hook wounding – take the salmon angler’s pladge. www.fishnh.com/fishing/salmon-pledge.html SCHOOL B L NATURAL A K AREA E 25 R O 3. Lees Mills Boat Launch A D Great spot for fishing for warmwater species, with abundant shoreline access and AD MOULTONBOROUGH LEES plenty of parking.