Best Ice Fishing Lakes in New Hampshire

Short answer: for lake trout, NH Fish and Game points to the state's larger, deep lakes. Native lake trout live in Squam Lake, Lake Winnipesaukee, Newfound Lake and First and Second Connecticut Lakes. The department also lists Sunapee, Winnisquam, Little Squam, Merrymeeting, Nubanusit and Great East Lake among waters managed for lake trout. For pickerel, perch, crappie and bass, the department says small ponds can fish as early as December if the ice is good. For smelt, the department names the Great Bay estuary. Landlocked salmon are in the big lakes, but they may never be taken through the ice.

What the state offers on the ice is lake trout in deep lakes, warmwater fish in small ponds, stocked trout in some waters, and a fading smelt fishery on the coast.

Every pick below comes from NH Fish and Game pages. We give no catch rates, no records and no ice reports.

No ice is ever 100% safe. Check it yourself.

Quick list by species:

• Lake trout: Squam Lake, Lake Winnipesaukee, Newfound Lake, First Connecticut Lake, Second Connecticut Lake. Also Sunapee, Winnisquam, Little Squam, Merrymeeting, Nubanusit, Great East Lake and others on the department's two-line list.
• Chain pickerel: found across the state, in shallow lakes and ponds with weeds.
• Yellow perch: found in ponds and lakes throughout the state.
• Rainbow smelt: through the ice on the Great Bay estuary.
• Landlocked salmon: stocked in 15 waters, but never taken through the ice.

Ice safety first

NH Fish and Game passes on a rule of thumb from the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory in Hanover: a minimum of 6 inches of hard ice before foot travel, and 8 to 10 inches of hard ice for a snowmobile or ATV. The department also says it is not advisable to drive vehicles onto the ice.

That is a rule of thumb, not a promise. The department says thick ice does not always mean strong ice. Weak ice forms when a warm spell breaks the ice down and the slush freezes again.

More from the department:

• Use a chisel or auger to test the ice, and keep testing as you go out. Thickness is not the same all over a lake.
• Take extra care at inlets, outlets and spring holes. Ice can be dangerously thin there.
• Stay off the shoreline ice if it is cracked or squishy. Stay off during thaws.
• Watch for thin, clear or honeycombed ice. Dark snow and ice may also indicate weak spots.
• Do not gather in large groups.
• Carry ice picks around your neck or in an easy pocket. If you go through, move back toward where you fell in, lay both arms on the unbroken ice and kick hard. Then roll away from the hole.
• Do not assume a snowmobile trail is good just because it exists. Ask local clubs or shops.

No ice is ever 100% safe. Check it yourself.

Lake trout: the big lakes

The department says lake trout chances are in the larger lakes. Lake trout waters have a set ice season of January 1 through March 31.

Lake trout live only in deep-water lakes in New Hampshire. Native populations are in Squam, Winnipesaukee, Newfound, First Connecticut and Second Connecticut Lakes. Stocking has built self-sustaining populations in 17 more waters in the central, southwestern and northern parts of the state. The department notes the species is a popular target in both open water and the ice season.

The department says rainbow smelt are the preferred food for lake trout in most of the lakes and ponds where they live.

No ice is ever 100% safe. Check it yourself.

Lake Winnipesaukee

The department's large lakes page counts Winnipesaukee among the central lakes that run from the Vermont line to the Maine line and offer coldwater and warmwater fisheries. It is a native lake trout water and a landlocked salmon water. It sits on the two-line list.

Squam Lake and Little Squam

Squam is a native lake trout water. Big Squam and Little Squam are both on the two-line list for lake trout and salmon.

Newfound Lake

Native lake trout, and one of the lakes where landlocked salmon were first planted, in 1866. The department says the best natural salmon spawning runs are in the Cockermouth and Fowlers Rivers, which flow into Newfound.

First and Second Connecticut Lakes

Both are native lake trout waters, and both are on the two-line list. Third Connecticut Lake is on that list too, for lake trout and salmon.

Sunapee, Winnisquam, Merrymeeting and Nubanusit

All four are on the two-line list. Sunapee, Winnisquam and Merrymeeting list lake trout and salmon. The department's species page shows a 10.5 pound lake trout taken during a survey on Nubanusit. That was a survey fish, not a catch rate.

Other lake trout waters

The department's two-line list also names Big Dan Hole Pond, Big Diamond Pond, Francis Lake, Granite Lake, Great East Lake, Big Greenough Pond, and both Silver Lakes (Harrisville and Madison) for lake trout. Check the current rules for each one.

Pickerel, perch and other warmwater fish

The department says small ponds can offer ice fishing for chain pickerel, perch, black crappie and bass as early as December, if the ice is good. It does not name specific ponds on that page, so we do not either.

• Chain pickerel: the department says they are found throughout New Hampshire in shallow lakes and ponds, usually near aquatic plants where they ambush prey. They spawn just after ice melt.
• Yellow perch: found in ponds, lakes and slow rivers throughout the state. The department calls them common and widespread.

The big lakes carry warmwater fish too. The large lakes page lists bass, pickerel and perch alongside trout and salmon.

Stocked trout through the ice

The department says some ponds and lakes are stocked with trout and open year-round, so you can catch brook, brown and rainbow trout through the ice. Its ice fishing page links to a list of locations. Pull that list before you pick a pond.

No ice is ever 100% safe. Check it yourself.

Smelt

Smelt are a coastal story now. The department says smelt are caught through the ice on the Great Bay estuary. It also says the winter smelt fishery is slowly fading, and that catch rates in Great Bay have dropped significantly since the 1980s. Inland, rainbow smelt live in many lakes and ponds, and the department calls them the most important open-water forage in the large lakes.

No ice is ever 100% safe. Check it yourself.

Landlocked salmon: never taken through the ice

The department says salmon may never be taken through the ice. It advises cutting the line as close to the fish's mouth as you can, and not pulling the fish out of the water. Hook wounds from repeated catches can hurt growth. The department lists accidental capture by ice fishermen as one factor that can raise the rate of hook wounding.

Lines and rules

• Six lines on most NH waters, per person.
• Two lines on lakes managed for lake trout. The department's two-line list also includes Conway and Ossipee, which are managed for landlocked salmon.
• Five lines on NH and Maine border waters, except Great East Lake, which is two.
• One hook: baited hooks must have a single hook with a single point per device. Bait means any ingestible substance.
• Cusk: see the NH ice fishing e-regulations.

Rules change. Read the current NH Fishing Digest for your lake before you drill.

No ice is ever 100% safe. Check it yourself.

Before you go

1. Test the ice yourself at every spot, then keep testing as you go out.
2. Look up your lake's line limit and season.
3. Tell someone your plan.
4. Pack a chisel or auger and ice picks.
5. Do not drive onto the ice. The department says it is not advisable to drive vehicles onto the ice.

No ice is ever 100% safe. Check it yourself.

FAQ

What is the best ice fishing lake in New Hampshire?

It depends on the fish. For lake trout, the native waters are Squam, Winnipesaukee, Newfound, and First and Second Connecticut Lakes. For pickerel and perch, small ponds, which the department says can fish by December.

How thick does ice need to be in New Hampshire?

NH Fish and Game relays a rule of thumb of 6 inches of hard ice for foot travel and 8 to 10 inches of hard ice for a snowmobile or ATV. Thick ice is not always strong ice. No ice is ever 100% safe. Check it yourself.

Can you ice fish for salmon in New Hampshire?

No. The department says salmon may never be taken through the ice.

When is lake trout ice season in New Hampshire?

January 1 through March 31 on lake trout waters, according to the department.

How many lines can I use?

Six on most waters. Two on lakes managed for lake trout. Five on NH and Maine border waters, except Great East Lake, which is two.