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197-acre lake near Whitefield. 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Forest Lake maps at 197 acres behind 2.2 miles of shoreline. A shoreline index of 1.1 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. The basin spans about 0.8 mi end to end and 0.6 mi across at its widest. Coos County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Burns Pond, is 2 mi to the east.
Spring largemouth bass on Forest Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (15 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Break off the point (15 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Time it for early morning. You won't need more than a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow 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) |
Spring puts chain pickerel in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 3 to 15 ft, wintering in 4 to 15 ft. Spring chain pickerel concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Early season bluegill use the shallows, holding in 1 to 6 ft. Summer is a 4 to 15 ft game here, winter a 5 to 15 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Break off the point (15 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Deep basin (15 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Come spring, look for white perch tight to the bank in 4 to 15 ft. Through summer count on 5 to 15 ft; the winter hold is 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 15 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning. A small spinner rig drifted or a 1/8 oz jigging spoon is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk | Shallow 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 |
Early season brown bullhead use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 3 to 12 ft game here, winter a 5 to 15 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 15 ft, prime for winter. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Deep basin (15 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Deep basin (15 ft) |
Forest Lake also holds rock bass (4 to 15 ft in summer), 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.
Structure-wise the chart holds 11 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 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 Forest Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Hampshire fishing regulations →
Forest 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, rock bass, smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed on Forest Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The interactive chart above rates every 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 Forest 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.
Burns Pond 2 mi · Mirror Lake 4 mi · BLOOD POND 7 mi · Martin Meadow Pond 7 mi · Moore Reservoir 8 mi, NH/VT · STREETER POND 9 mi · Miles Pond 10 mi, VT · Neal Pond 10 mi, VT · Partridge Lake 11 mi · Echo Lake 12 mi · PROFILE LAKE 13 mi · Ogontz Lake 13 mi
See how Forest 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: Coos County fishing maps (40 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.