CONTACT:
John Viar: 603-744-5470
March 20, 2026
Concord, NH – April 1 marks the official start of the open-water fishing season on New Hampshire’s large lakes, which are managed for landlocked salmon, including Big Squam Lake, Lake Sunapee, and Lake Winnipesaukee. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department also manages other waterbodies for landlocked salmon, including First and Second Connecticut, Conway, Francis, Merrymeeting, Newfound, Ossipee, and Winnisquam lakes. Pleasant Lake in New London is also managed for landlocked salmon but is classified as a designated trout pond with an opening date of the fourth Saturday in April.
For the second winter in a row—which seems noteworthy in recent years—the open expanses of New Hampshire’s large lakes, including the Broads on Lake Winnipesaukee, were solidly covered with ice and deep snow. Another “good ol’ fashioned winter” will likely translate to typical mid-to-late April ice-out dates for large lakes in the central Lakes Region.
Of course, “ice out” is a relative term, because many anglers ply shorelines and bridges, and troll open sections of the lakes well before full “ice out.” Warming spring temperatures in the central Lakes Region will help to expedite the melting process.
Regardless of ice conditions or location within the state, the last day for ice fishing on lakes managed under the landlocked salmon and lake trout designations is March 31, and no open-water fishing of any kind, for any species, is permitted on these managed lakes until April 1. Landlocked salmon may never be taken through the ice in New Hampshire.
To ensure the future of high-quality landlocked salmon and other fisheries, anglers must take extra care when releasing fish, as the percentage of hook-wounded fish continues to be a problem. Hook-wounded fish are significantly shorter and in poorer physical condition than non-hook-wounded fish of the same age. Using rubber nets, proper release techniques, and other considerations can minimize the negative effects of hook wounding, thereby increasing the number of quality-sized fish available in the future. For more information, please visit www.wildlife.nh.gov/fishing-new-hampshire/catching-landlocked-salmon-nh/prevent-hook-wounding.
Reel in lots more information on fishing in New Hampshire by downloading the current Freshwater Fishing Digest at www.eregulations.com/newhampshire/fishing/freshwater.
Your experience matters. Please take the Inland Fisheries Division’s angler survey to help inform the management priorities and improved recreational opportunities in the Granite State.
