CONTACT:
John Magee: 603-271-2501
Dianne Timmins: 603-271-2501
January 2, 2025
Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department stocks trout during the fall to bolster the winter ice fishery, resulting in some exciting fishing action this winter.
Winter anglers chasing trout can find lists of waterbodies that are open to the taking of these fish year round on the Fish and Game website:
- For lakes and ponds, visit www.wildlife.nh.gov/fishing-new-hampshire/trout-fishing-new-hampshire/nh-lakes-and-ponds-stocked-trout-and-open-year.
- For rivers and streams, see www.wildlife.nh.gov/fishing-new-hampshire/trout-fishing-new-hampshire/nh-rivers-and-streams-stocked-trout-and-open-year.
- Rules for waterbodies with special regulations are listed in the NH Freshwater Fishing Digest, which is available from license agents or on the Fish and Game website at www.eregulations.com/newhampshire/fishing/freshwater.
- The following is a list of New Hampshire lakes and ponds that were stocked with trout during the fall of 2024 and are open to ice fishing: Akers Pond in Errol, Beaver Pond in Woodstock, Bow Lake in Strafford, Cedar Pond in Milan, Big Diamond Pond in Stewartstown (opens January 1, 2025), Higher Ground Pond in Wentworth, Highland Lake in Andover, Hildreth Pond in Warren, Little Dan Hole Pond in Ossipee, Manning Lake in Gilmanton, Martin Meadow Pond in Lancaster, Mascoma Lake in Enfield, Mirror Lake in Woodstock, Newfound Lake in Bristol, Oguntz Lake in Lyman, Pearl Lake in Lisbon, Perch Pond in Lisbon, Pleasant Lake in Deerfield, Streeter Pond in Sugar Hill, Sunapee Lake in Newbury, Tewksbury Pond in Grafton, Webster Lake in Franklin, White Lake in Tamworth, and Winnisquam Lake in Laconia. Please note that there are additional New Hampshire waterbodies open for year-round fishing in addition to those on this list.
“The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s hatcheries stock post-spawn brook and brown trout into selected waterbodies that do not have a closed season before winter,” said Fish and Game’s Inland Fisheries Program Supervisor John Magee. “These fish can range from 2 to 3 pounds each. Numbers, dates, and stocking locations vary annually. I would encourage anglers of all skill levels to take advantage of this season’s stocked opportunities throughout New Hampshire when weather conditions are favorable and once the ice is safe.”
“The Granite State’s rivers and streams opened to fishing on January 1, and there are some quality fish to be caught in some of the tailwater fisheries such as the Newfound River,” said Magee. “When water levels are drawn down on larger lakes for the fall, prize-sized fish often drop down below dams, creating opportunities for savvy winter anglers. This winter’s free fishing day is January 18, so why not try your luck through the ice this year.”
Learn more about ice fishing in New Hampshire at www.wildlife.nh.gov/fishing-new-hampshire/ice-fishing.
To learn more about fisheries management in New Hampshire, which is funded in part by the federal Sport Fish Restoration Program, visit www.wildlife.nh.gov/fishing-new-hampshire/new-hampshire-fish-hatcheries.
