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Fishing Jackman Reservoir: what the data says
815-acre reservoir near Hillsborough. NH GRANIT / NH Fish & Game survey water. The lake tops out around 30 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Jackman Reservoir
Spring largemouth bass on Jackman Reservoir hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 9 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Jackman Reservoir
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 9 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Chain Pickerel fishing at Jackman Reservoir
Spring chain pickerel on Jackman Reservoir hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 18 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for chain pickerel in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Bluegill fishing at Jackman Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Jackman Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 10 ft that scores prime in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
White Perch fishing at Jackman Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: white perch sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 9 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 9 to 30 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 30 ft, rated prime for summer white perch. 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Summer | 9 to 30 ft | dawn | Small spinner rig drifted, 1/8 oz jigging spoon |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Blade bait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | dusk | Small rattle spoon, Tungsten + spikes |
Jackman Reservoir also holds brook trout (10 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 30 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 20 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 10 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 6 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 6 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
Common questions
How deep is Jackman Reservoir?
Jackman Reservoir is about 30 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Jackman Reservoir?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, brook trout, chain pickerel, white perch on Jackman Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Jackman Reservoir?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 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.
When is the best time to fish Jackman Reservoir?
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.
Nearby waters
CAMPBELL POND · Bagley Pond · Black Pond · Gregg Lake · Contention Pond · White Pond (Windsor)
See how Jackman Reservoir 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
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