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8,822-acre lake near Belmont. NH GRANIT / NH Fish & Game survey water. The lake tops out around 140 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
On the chart, Ephraim Cove draws 8,809 acres inside 20.2 miles of shoreline, broken up by 3 islands. Index 1.5 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. 16% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 8.7 mi, about 2.8 mi across. The water lies in Belknap County. For a second option, Lake Winnisquam lies 1 mi north.
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Rock reef, a rock pile in the 12 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (16 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (12 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (12 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Sharp break (15 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Sharp break first on the milk run — a drop-off near 15 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (10 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Sharp break (15 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (15 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (15 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 45 ft. Rock reef is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 12 ft, rated prime for spring smallmouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (12 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (12 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (16 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Sharp break (15 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Fall largemouth bass concentrate at Secondary point, a prime-rated point around 5 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (10 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (15 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (5 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (15 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: white perch in 4 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 15 to 40 ft before dropping to 20 to 50 ft for winter. The spot to know is Feeding flat, a feeding flat in about 38 ft of water that rates prime for white perch in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a small spinner rig drifted or a 1/8 oz jigging spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (10 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Summer | 15 to 40 ft | dawn | Feeding flat (38 ft) | Small spinner rig drifted, 1/8 oz jigging spoon |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | midday | Sharp break (15 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | dusk | Feeding flat (38 ft) | Small rattle spoon, Tungsten + spikes |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Feeding flat is the standout, a feeding flat at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring crappie. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Feeding flat (5 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (15 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Sharp break (15 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (15 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Ephraim Cove also holds pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer), burbot (50 to 120 ft in summer), chain pickerel (3 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 12 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 140 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 Ephraim Cove specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Hampshire fishing regulations →
Ephraim Cove is about 140 ft (43 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 rainbow trout, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, white perch, crappie, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, burbot, chain pickerel on Ephraim Cove. This isn't a survey of the lake — none is on record for it — but an informed estimate from the species listed for the nearest surveyed lakes in the region, filtered to this lake's depth and habitat.
Rock reef is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For rainbow trout, 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 Ephraim Cove 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.
Lake Winnisquam 1 mi · Opechee Lake 2 mi · HUNKINS POND 3 mi · Randlett Pond 4 mi · Saltmarsh Pond 4 mi · Hermit Lake 5 mi · Silver Lake 5 mi · Wicwas Lake 6 mi · Pemigewasset Lake 7 mi · POUT POND 7 mi · Sargent Lake 7 mi · Giles Pond 8 mi
See how Ephraim Cove stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New Hampshire · best smallmouth bass lakes in New Hampshire · best crappie lakes in New Hampshire · best rainbow trout lakes in New Hampshire
More water nearby: Belknap County fishing maps (43 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.