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254-acre lake near Rochester. NH GRANIT / NH Fish & Game survey water. The lake tops out around 15 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
On the chart, Baxter Lake draws 254 acres inside 2.3 miles of shoreline. Nearly circular (index 1), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. Figure 0.8 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.8 mi at the beam. The water lies in Strafford County. For a second option, Rochester Reservoir lies 3 mi south.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 15 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 2 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Deep basin (15 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 5 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 15 ft. Start at Back-bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn | Deep basin (15 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Deep basin (15 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (15 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
When the water first warms, chain pickerel slide up into 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | dawn | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Deep basin (15 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
In spring, white perch run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Summer keeps them at 5 to 15 ft, and they winter in 5 to 15 ft. Summer white perch concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 15 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a small spinner rig drifted or a 1/8 oz jigging spoon most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn | Deep basin (15 ft) | Small spinner rig drifted, 1/8 oz jigging spoon |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Deep basin (15 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Blade bait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Deep basin (15 ft) | Small rattle spoon, Tungsten + spikes |
In spring, brown bullhead run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 12 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 15 ft, rated prime for winter brown bullhead. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Deep basin (15 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Deep basin (15 ft) |
Baxter Lake also holds smallmouth bass (5 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 3 structure features on Baxter Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 15 ft.
Access data: New Hampshire Fish & Game — Public Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New Hampshire waters are set by the New Hampshire Fish and Game — and special regulations can apply to Baxter Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Hampshire fishing regulations →
Baxter Lake is about 15 ft (5 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target largemouth bass, yellow perch, chain pickerel, bluegill, white perch, brown bullhead, smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed on Baxter Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Baxter Lake is regulated by the New Hampshire Fish and Game. Check the official New Hampshire regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Rochester Reservoir 3 mi · Round Pond 3 mi · Ayers Pond 5 mi · Milton Pond 7 mi, NH/ME · Nippo Pond 7 mi · Townhouse Pond 8 mi · LILY POND (STRAFFORD) 8 mi · Bow Lake 9 mi · Northeast Pond 9 mi, NH/ME · Sunrise Lake 9 mi · STONEHOUSE POND 9 mi · CLUB POND 9 mi
See how Baxter Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New Hampshire · best smallmouth bass lakes in New Hampshire · best bluegill lakes in New Hampshire · best yellow perch lakes in New Hampshire
More water nearby: Strafford County fishing maps (26 charts). Browse all New Hampshire fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.