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4,264-acre reservoir near Laconia. 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.
Traced from the shoreline, Lake Winnisquam runs 3,398 acres with 17.7 miles of edge, broken up by an island. The 2.2 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. 8% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Figure 6.9 mi of water from one end to the other, 1.9 mi at the beam. You'll find it in Belknap County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Ephraim Cove, 1 mi south of here.
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Rock reef, a rock pile in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. 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 | Rock reef (12 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 20 to 45 ft for winter. Spring smallmouth bass concentrate at Rock reef, a prime-rated rock pile around 12 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. 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 | Break off the point (83 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Secondary point is the standout, a point at roughly 15 ft, rated prime for fall largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 | Main-lake point (16 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (15 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (83 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — feeding flat, 10 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is 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 | Shallow bay flat (10 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (140 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Feeding flat (33 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 25 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. Summer crappie concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated feeding flat around 10 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. 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 | Shallow bay flat (10 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (10 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (10 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (140 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: lake trout in 10 to 40 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 50 to 120 ft before dropping to 20 to 80 ft for winter. The spot to know is Rock reef, a rock pile in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in fall. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (16 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Break off the point (83 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Rock reef (12 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Break off the point (83 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Lake Winnisquam also holds landlocked salmon (25 to 60 ft in summer), chain pickerel (3 to 15 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), burbot (50 to 120 ft in summer), rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer), white perch (15 to 40 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
10 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 140 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: New Hampshire Fish & Game — Public Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 5 | Landlocked Salmon | 1,485 | — |
| May 4 | Landlocked Salmon | 300 | — |
| Apr 29 | Rainbow Trout | 5,550 | — |
| Apr 28 | Landlocked Salmon | 300 | — |
Source: NH Fish & Game stocking report, retrieved 2026-08-18.
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 Lake Winnisquam specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Hampshire fishing regulations →
Lake Winnisquam 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, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, yellow perch, crappie, lake trout, landlocked salmon, chain pickerel, brown bullhead, bluegill, burbot, rock bass, white perch, pumpkinseed on Lake Winnisquam.
Rock reef is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. The interactive chart above rates every 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.
Yes — per NH Fish & Game stocking report records, Lake Winnisquam was most recently stocked May 5 with 1,485 landlocked salmon. The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Lake Winnisquam 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.
Ephraim Cove 1 mi · Opechee Lake 2 mi · Randlett Pond 4 mi · HUNKINS POND 4 mi · Saltmarsh Pond 5 mi · Wicwas Lake 5 mi · Hermit Lake 5 mi · Pemigewasset Lake 6 mi · Silver Lake 6 mi · Waukewan Lake 7 mi · POUT POND 8 mi · Sargent Lake 8 mi
See how Lake Winnisquam stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New Hampshire · best smallmouth bass lakes in New Hampshire · best crappie lakes in New Hampshire · best bluegill 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.