Fishing in many of New Hampshire’s managed trout ponds starts April 24.
These waters include designated trout ponds, fly-fishing-only ponds, and ponds managed under the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Wild Trout Program.
“Trout are prized by anglers because fishing for them is one of the traditional rites of spring, and they are beautiful,” Fish and Game Department Fisheries biologist Dianne Timmins said in a Facebook post.
“Whether your passion is the blue-haloed brook trout, a leaping, pink-striped rainbow, or the determined fight of a brown, there’s a trout pond within a reasonable driving distance to challenge your skills.”
Ponds managed for trout may be stocked with one or more species, including brook, rainbow, and brown trout at various age classes.
“These trout ponds are often the best waters in a given area for a variety of reasons,” Timmins said. “Excellent habitat, limited species predation, low angling competition, and the fact that these ponds are closed to ice fishing allow larger fish to grow that challenge the trout fishing enthusiast. Low water conditions last year did not affect pond conditions, so we are expecting some great fish to be had out there.”
Clough Pond in Loudon, French Pond in Henniker, Lucas Pond in Northwood, Mount William Pond in Weare, Dublin Lake in Dublin, Barbadoes Pond in Madbury, Mountain Pond in Brookfield and Airport Pond in Whitefield are a few of the generously stocked early-season hotspots where opening day trout are often taken, the Facebook post said.
Changes in stocking, made in 2021, have only increased opportunities in these locations, as well as others throughout the state, according to Fish and Game officials.
Many popular ponds are found from the Lakes Region north to Pittsburg. They include Little Diamond Pond in Stewartstown, Echo Lake in Franconia, Mirror Lake in Whitefield, Russell Pond in Woodstock, Conner Pond and Duncan Lake in Ossipee, White Lake in Tamworth, Perch Pond in Campton, Saltmarsh Pond in Gilford, and Spectacle Pond in Groton.
Flat Mountain Pond in Sandwich, Cole Pond in Enfield (fly fishing only), Butterfield Pond in Wilmot, Sawyer Pond in Livermore, and Black Pond and Lonesome Lake in Lincoln are just a sampling of these ponds, where Fish and Game said fingerling brook trout can often measure over 8 inches by their second growing season.
Archery Pond in Allenstown, which has a ADA-accessible casting platform, and Stonehouse Pond in Barrington are two popular fly-fishing-only ponds that will be well stocked for opening day.
“Further north, some excellent fly-fishing-only ponds include Upper Hall Pond in Sandwich, Sky Pond in New Hampton, and Profile Lake in Franconia, which now also has an ADA-accessible casting platform,” the Facebook post said.
The ponds managed under wild trout regulations are open only through Labor Day, while the waterbodies managed for other trout species close on Oct. 15.
For a list of trout ponds and fly-fishing-only ponds in New Hampshire, as well as a description of special rules that apply to certain ponds, consult the New Hampshire Freshwater Fishing Digest, available online at www.fishnh.com/fishing/publications.html or from any Fish and Game agent where you buy your license.
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