CONTACT:
John Magee: 603-271-2501
Dianne Timmins: 603-271-2501
November 13, 2026
Concord, NH – Throughout October and November, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department will stock additional trout to bolster this fall’s late-season open water and this winter’s ice fishing opportunities. “Stocked 2-year-old trout will average about 14–15 inches, and surplus broodstock typically range from 2–4 pounds,” said Fish and Game Inland Fisheries Program Supervisor John Magee. “I would encourage anglers of all skill levels to take advantage of this season’s stocked trout opportunities throughout New Hampshire.”
Waterbodies scheduled for 2026 fall stocking include:
Two-Year-Old Rainbow Trout
- Akers Pond, Errol
- Cedar Pond, Milan
- Martin Meadow Pond, Lancaster
- Pearl Lake, Lisbon
- Streeter Pond, Sugar Hill
- Big Diamond Pond, Stewartstown
- Newfound Lake, Bristol
Broodstock Brook and/or Brown Trout
- Highland Lake, Andover
- Manning Lake, Gilmanton
- Mirror Lake, Woodstock
- Pleasant Lake, Deerfield
- Tewksbury Pond, Grafton
- Webster Lake, Franklin
- White Lake, Tamworth
“Most of these waterbodies remain open to fishing year-round by all legal methods, however anglers should note that Big Diamond Pond and Newfound Lake are open to the taking of trout on January 1 with the opening of ice fishing season,” said Magee. “2027’s winter Free Fishing Day is Saturday, January 16. No fishing license is required to try your hand at targeting these magnificent fish, but all other fishing regulations apply.”
Additional year-round trout fishing opportunities and regulation details can be found 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, available from license agents or by visiting www.eregulations.com/newhampshire/fishing/freshwater.
“The Granite State’s rivers and streams open to fishing on January 1, and there are some quality fish to be caught in a variety 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.”
Your experience matters. Please take the Inland Fisheries Division’s angler survey to help inform management priorities and improve recreational angling opportunities in the Granite State.
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.
