Best chain pickerel lakes in New Hampshire
481 New Hampshire waters hold chain pickerel, 478 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The eastern esox — a lie-in-wait weed-bed assassin that bites all year, including through the ice.
- Horseshoe Pond — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch
- Lake Winnipesaukee — 180 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Squam Lake — 95 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Umbagog Lake — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch
- Moore Reservoir — 120 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Ephraim Cove — 140 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch
- Lake Winnisquam — 140 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Lake Sunapee — 100 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch
- Coon Brook Bog — 5 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Chain Pickerel
- Newfound Lake — 180 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch
- Lake Francis — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Landlocked Salmon
- Massabesic Lake — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Lake Wentworth — 80 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Rainbow Trout
- Mascoma Lake — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Ossipee Lake — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Rainbow Trout
- Highland Lake — 25 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Merrymeeting Lake — 120 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch
- Pine River Pond — 55 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Nubanusit Lake — 90 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch
- Conway Lake — 45 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch
- Bow Lake — 65 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Balch Pond — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Monomonac Lake — 25 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch
- Waukewan Lake — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch
- Pawtuckaway Lake — 45 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
…plus 456 more New Hampshire waters holding chain pickerel.
When to fish chain pickerel in New Hampshire
- Spring 2–10 ft — Early spawner: post-spawn fish prowl warming, weedy bays and eat everything that moves.
- Summer 3–15 ft — Classic ambush game: weed edges, pad fields and dock shade — flashy, steady retrieves.
- Fall 4–15 ft — Feeding hard around the last green weeds as water cools.
- Winter 5–18 ft — One of ice fishing's most reliable biters — shiners on tip-ups over weed flats.
Also in New Hampshire: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best lake trout lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best landlocked salmon lakes · best burbot lakes · best rock bass lakes · best white perch lakes · best pumpkinseed lakes · best brown bullhead lakes
Chain Pickerel elsewhere: Massachusetts · Connecticut · New York · Maine · Rhode Island