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784-acre lake near Nottingham. The lake tops out around 45 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 the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
Pawtuckaway Lake maps at 826 acres behind 23.1 miles of shoreline — 11 islands included. With a shoreline index of 5.7, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 74% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. Tip to tip the water measures near 3.1 mi with a 1.9-mi widest point. Rockingham County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Governors Lake, is 4 mi to the southwest.
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 12 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (1 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (3 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, smallmouth bass slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 45 ft that scores good in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (3 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (3 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Deep basin (45 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Dock / pier line: a dock line around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Dock / pier line (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (45 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. 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 Back-bay flat: a weed flat around 1 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Back-bay flat (1 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: yellow perch in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 12 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (45 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (18 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Start shallow in spring: chain pickerel sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. 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 12 ft of water that rates prime for chain pickerel in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (1 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Pawtuckaway Lake also holds brown bullhead (3 to 12 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.
Count 8 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 45 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 Pawtuckaway Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Hampshire fishing regulations →
Pawtuckaway Lake is about 45 ft (14 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, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch, chain pickerel, brown bullhead, white perch, pumpkinseed on Pawtuckaway Lake.
Back-bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 1 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 Pawtuckaway 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.
Governors Lake 4 mi · KENISON POND 5 mi · Onway Lake 5 mi · Lucas Pond 6 mi · FREESES POND LOWER 7 mi · Mendums Pond 7 mi · Wheelwright Pond 7 mi · STONEHOUSE POND 8 mi · NORTON POND 8 mi · Swains Lake 8 mi · MEADOW LAKE 8 mi · Pleasant Lake 9 mi
See how Pawtuckaway Lake 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: Rockingham County fishing maps (45 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.