Lakes of New Hampshire

NH is a beautiful state with lots of beautiful lakes. In fact many people don't realize that the small state of New Hampshire has so many lakes.

How Many Lakes are in New Hampshire?

The state of New Hampshire lists 959 lakes in it's "Official List of Public Waters." This is a list of bodies of water greater than 10 acres. We do not offer a complete list of lakes in New Hampshire here, but do offer descriptions of the ones we do have:

Back Lake Pittsburg NH

Back Lake is a 38 acre body of water located in the North Woods of northern NH in Pittsburg, NH. The lake is perfect for fishing and boating. Back Lake is home to many camping areas such as Powder Horn Cabins and North Country Lodge.

Baxter Lake Farmington NH & Rochester NH

Baxter Lake is a 295 acre lake located in the town of Farmington NH and the city of Rochester NH. Baxter Lake has beautiful waterfront homes surrounding the lake. Some of the top fishing awards have been given at the lake. Grand View Campground is a local attraction at Baxter Lake. A great place to visit is Happy Valley Camping area.

Bow Lake Strafford NH & Northwood NH

Bow Lake is a 1,160 acres lake located in the towns of Strafford NH and Northwood NH. Bow Lake flows to the Atlantic Ocean by the Cocheco and Piscataqua rivers. There are seven islands surrounding the lake. To enjoy the beauty of the lake, stay at the Bow Lake Inn. Bow Lake also offers fish stocking programs.

Canaan Street Lake, Canaan NH

Canaan Street Lake is 303 acre lake located in the town of Canaan NH. Part of the shoreline of the lake is taken by the Cardigan Mountain School. The lake is surrounded by beautiful lakefront homes.

Contoocook Lake in Jaffrey and Rindge NH

Contoocook Lake is 380 acres and is located in the towns of Jaffrey NH and Rindge NH. The lake flows into Merrimack River in Penacook. There is a walking trail near the lake and lots of things to do. You can play golf at Shattuck Golf Course, spend a night at the Colonial Hotel and enjoy the scenery at Contoocook Lake Dam. Woodmere Park Campground is close to the lake as is the Super 8 Garden.

Conway Lake in Conway and Eaton NH

Conway Lake is 1,316 acres with warm water fishing available. The lake is formerly known as Walker’s Pond. The lake is 4 miles wide and 1.4 miles wide. Conway Lake is well known for fishing and canoeing. The NH Fish and Game Dept. take care of the lake for Atlantic salmon. Residents of the lakefront properties can swim on the private beaches, sailing and water skiing are popular in the summer. The lake is home to deer, snakes and turtles. The home is also home to Pork Chop, an old large turtle.

First Connecticut Lake Pittsburg NH

First Connecticut Lake is located in the town of Pittsburg NH. It is the lowest as well as the largest and 4th smallest lake within the Connecticut lakes group. At 3,071 acres, it is the 8th largest lake in the state of NH. The lake houses several lakefront houses and beautiful cabins. The lake is often used for hunting and fishing. The lake measures 5.3 miles long and 2.7 miles across. The Glen is a popular vacation spot. It offers lakeshore cabins as well as main lodge. Some other nearby attractions includes Lake Urbagog National Wildlife Refuge and The White Mountain National Forest.

Half Moon Lake Barnstead NH & Alton NH

Half-moon Lake is 282 acres located in the towns of Barnstead NH and Alton NH. Half-moon Lake empties into the Merrimack River. The lake measures 1.6 miles long and only 0.4 miles across. Half-moon Lake is located 640 feet above sea level. Fish species include largemouth bass, Pickerel, Horned pout and White Perch.

Lake Massabesic Manchester NH and Auburn NH

Massabesic Lake is located in the city of Manchester NH and the town of Auburn and covers 2,561 acres with in Manchester. The lake is home to several islands: Browns Island, Fletcher Island, Birch Island, Grape Island and several islets. Massabesic Lake provides the drinking water for Manchester but you can boat and fish. The lake is 5.6 miles long and 1.3 miles wide. The lake stretches over 2,500 acres and holds 15 billion gallons of water. The NH Audubon Center is located at Battery Point on Massabesic Lake on the Auburn side of the lake.

Merrymeeting Lake New Durham NH

Merrymeeting Lake is located in New Durham New Hampshire. The lake drains through Merrymeeting Road, New Durham Village, to the south end of Lake Winnipesaukee to West Powder Mill Fish Hatchery. The lake is home to coldwater species of fish species such as Brook trout, Rainbow Trout and Lake Trout as well as warm water fish such pickerel, white perch and horned pout.

Newfound Lake Bristol, Danbury, Groton NH

Newfound Lake is in the lakes region of the state. Many people claim that Newfound Lake is the cleanest in the world. It is 4,106 acres in size and is one of the deepest lakes in NH at 183 feet deep at its deepest point. The lake is 7 miles long and 2.5 miles wide. The lake is surrounded by 6 towns including Bristol NH, Danbury NH and Groton NH. There are also two lighthouses on the lake.

Ossipee Lake in Ossipee, Freedom and Effingham NH

Ossipee Lake is the 6th largest lake in the state at 3,245 acres. It is surrounded by the towns of Ossipee NH, Freedom NH and Effingham NH. The lake holds both water and cold water fish. Ossipee Lake flows into the Saco River in Maine. It is a popular vacation site in the summer. The lake is surrounded by several condos, cabins and lakefront homes.

View the Ossipee Lake Forum

Pawtuckaway Lake Nottingham NH

Pawtuckaway Lake is over 800 acres of water and several miles of shoreline. The lake is well known for its bass fishing. The lake is located in Nottingham NH and is about 8 miles long. Pawtuckaway Lake is home to largest and small mouth bass, Crappie, Catfish, Spotted, White and Striped Bass and Trout.

Pemigewasset Lake New Hampton & Meredith NH

Pemigewasset Lake is located in the towns of New Hampton NH and Meredith NH. The lake is 256 acres that flows to the Gulf of Maine. It stretches 1.7 miles long and 0.7 miles wide. The lake is a popular summer spot with summer camps and campgrounds.

Pleasant Lake Deerfield NH & New London NH

Pleasant Lake is located in both the town is Deerfield NH and New London New Hampshire. The lake in New London is 606 acres and measures 1.8 miles long and 0.7 miles across. The lake in Deerfield is 479 acres and is one of the top 10 cleanest lakes in NH.

Lake Sunapee

Lake Sunapee is the 5th largest lake in the state. It is 8.1 miles long and 2.5 across. It contains 8 islands, several peninsulas and 7 sandy beaches. There are also 6 boat ramps and 3 lighthouses. To drive around the lake takes 25 minutes. Lake Sunapee is 1,093 feet above sea level. The lake is home to several fish species such as Golden Trout, Sunapee Trout, Landlocked Salmon, Yellow Perch, Smallmouth Bass and Rainbow Smelt. There are also several animals that can be seen roaming around the lake such as Black Bear, White Tailed Deer, Red Squirrels, Fishers and Mink.

View the Lake Sunapee Forums

Suncook Lakes in Barnstead, NH

The Suncook Lakes are located in Center Barnstead NH. The Suncook Lakes consist of Upper Suncook Lake and Lower Suncook Lake. Upper Suncook Lake is deeper and is 402 acres. Lower Suncook Lake is much more shallow and is 295 acres. The lakes are separated by a small channel with a bridge. There is a boat ramp there at the bridge. Larger boats are unable to pass under the bridge to Lower Suncook Lake. Suncook lakes are stocked with rainbow trout. Other fish include large Mouth Bass, White Perch and Yellow Perch. Lower Suncook Lake webcam

Webster Lake Franklin NH

Webster Lake is 612 acres and located in the town of Franklin NH. The lake has 2 public beaches, one on each side of the lake. The lake is surrounded by wooded forests. It is home to fish species such as bass, hornpout and trout.

Wentworth Lake Wolfeboro NH

Wentworth Lake is located in Wolfeboro NH and is NH’s oldest summer resort. The lake stretches over 3,018 acres and has close to 20 islands located mainly in the center of the lake. There are 11 steams that flow into Wentworth Lake and there are several sandy beaches along the lake. Lake Wentworth is named after the former governor, John Wentworth.

Lake Winnipesaukee

For Lake Winnipesaukee, we have an entire section dedicated to the state's largest lake.

View information about Lake Winnipesaukee.