Piscataqua River Fishing Map & Spots (NH)

Target species

Species estimated for the region. No fish-species record is published for this water, so these species aren't a confirmed catch list. They're an informed estimate: the species this region's waters commonly hold, narrowed to this one by its depth, size and each species' range. Treat them as what's plausibly present, not as a survey of this water. How we estimate species →

Hatch outlook

Blue-Winged OlivesActive window

Typical here: Apr 1 – Nov 15 · multiple broods, strongest spring and fall; tailwaters like the Farmington carry olives essentially year-round

dunmidday into afternoon — the gray, drizzly days produce the real hatches

The bad-weather insurance hatch: the days that look wrong are the BWO days.

Overcast olive days keep trout feeding all day instead of one window: micro-spoons, small dark inline spinners and 1/32 oz jigs through the seams right through the gloom. The tiny fall olives are past what hardware matches — go bubble-and-olive-wet or fish the jig.

The event happens over riffles, seams and flats throughout the river

Terrestrials (ants, beetles, hoppers)Active window

Typical here: Jun 1 – Oct 31 · ants and beetles from June; hoppers and crickets strongest mid-July through September

adultmidday and afternoon — the hotter and windier, the better the bank bite

No hatch clock — wind is the conveyor; the fish move to the grassy banks and stay there all summer.

Summer's bank bite is spin-friendly: small poppers, micro spinnerbaits and inline spinners upstream tight to grassy undercut banks on breezy afternoons. The bubble-and-foam-beetle rig is deadly and nobody fishes it.

The event happens over grassy, brushy banks and the seams just off them, on warm windy afternoons

October Caddis (Great Autumn Brown Sedge)Active window

Typical here: Aug 15 – Nov 15 · peak late September into October — the biggest caddis of the New England fall

pupalate afternoon into dark — many pupae drift long distances before slowing in shallow water; emergence proper is by crawling out on shore at dusk or night — fish the drift and the shoreline margins, not mid-river rises
ovipositingdusk and after dark — females twitch and flop on the surface laying eggs — skate the dry; some crawl UNDERWATER from shoreline objects to lay, so a wet swung along the bank works too

Never a blanket hatch — a big, sparse bug the fish know; its value is prospecting weight in a thin-hatch season.

Fall fish on big sparse bugs are ambush-minded: small orange and brown crankbaits and inline spinners along wood and slow bank water in the last light. It's also landlocked-salmon-run season on many of these rivers — the same dusk water holds them.

The event happens over slow water with wood — banks, deadfalls and eddies, in the evening

PRO Stage timing, the bite read and tactics are part of Pro.

Next on this water

Quill Gordon · mayflyApr 1 – May 30 · in ~7 months

Hendrickson · mayflyApr 1 – Jun 30 · in ~7 months

March Brown · mayflyMay 1 – Jul 31 · in ~8 months

Sulphurs · mayflyMay 15 – Jul 31 · in ~9 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are interpolated from real agency depth surveys (state DNR / USACE). Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Loading depth chart…

Recent catches at Piscataqua River

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Piscataqua River on the board.

Fishing Piscataqua River: what the data says

6 km of the Piscataqua River navigation corridor, with channel depths from USACE hydrographic survey. The river tops out around 79 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.

The drawn water covers 594 acres wrapped in 10.6 miles of bank. An index of 3.1 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 8% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. Call it 4.1 mi long by 1.2 mi wide at the broadest reach. If the bite dies, Portsmouth Harbor is 1 mi to the southeast.

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Piscataqua River

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 Slackwater eddy (mile 3.8): an eddy pocket around 45 ft that scores prime 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	Current seam (mile 2.0) (69 ft)	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 2.0) (69 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Current seam (mile 2.0) (69 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	Slackwater eddy (mile 3.8) (45 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Rainbow Trout fishing at Piscataqua River

Spring rainbow trout on Piscataqua River hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 40 ft. Put Slackwater eddy (mile 3.8) first on the milk run — an eddy pocket near 45 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 2.0) (69 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 2.0) (69 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 2.0) (69 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Slackwater eddy (mile 3.8) (45 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Brown Trout fishing at Piscataqua River

In spring, brown trout run shallow here, mostly 3 to 25 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 25 to 60 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 35 ft. Slackwater eddy (mile 3.8) is the standout, an eddy pocket at roughly 45 ft, rated prime for summer brown trout. Time it for after dark and early morning. You won't need more than a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Slackwater eddy (mile 3.8) (45 ft)	Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines
Summer	25 to 60 ft	night & dawn	Slackwater eddy (mile 3.8) (45 ft)	Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night)
Fall	5 to 30 ft	dusk & dawn	Slackwater eddy (mile 3.8) (45 ft)	Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon
Winter	5 to 35 ft	dawn	Slackwater eddy (mile 3.8) (45 ft)	Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow)

Crappie fishing at Piscataqua River

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 Main-channel hole (mile 0.3): a creek channel around 60 ft that scores good in fall. 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	open water	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-channel hole (mile 0.3) (60 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Main-channel hole (mile 0.3) (60 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Main-channel hole (mile 0.3) (60 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Pumpkinseed fishing at Piscataqua River

Start shallow in spring: pumpkinseed sit in 1 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 2 to 10 ft; cold water stacks them in 6 to 18 ft. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 8 ft	midday & dusk	open water	Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin
Summer	2 to 10 ft	dusk & dawn	open water	Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly)
Fall	4 to 14 ft	dusk & dawn	open water	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	6 to 18 ft	dawn	open water	Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon

Chain Pickerel fishing at Piscataqua River

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. 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	open water	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white)
Summer	3 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	open water	Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait
Winter	5 to 18 ft	dawn	open water	Jigging spoon (through ice)

Piscataqua River also holds largemouth bass (8 to 20 ft in summer), yellow perch (10 to 30 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), white perch (15 to 40 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

Structure-wise the chart holds 3 features, led in depth by Current seam (mile 2.0) at roughly 69 ft.

Current seam (mile 2.0): current seam, around 69 ft
Main-channel hole (mile 0.3): creek channel, around 60 ft
Slackwater eddy (mile 3.8): eddy pocket, around 45 ft

Piscataqua River fishing regulations

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 Piscataqua River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official New Hampshire fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Piscataqua River?

Piscataqua River is about 79 ft (24 m) deep 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 Piscataqua River?

Anglers target smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, brown trout, crappie, pumpkinseed, chain pickerel, largemouth bass, yellow perch, brown bullhead, bluegill, white perch on Piscataqua River. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.

Where is the best fishing spot on Piscataqua River?

Slackwater eddy (mile 3.8) is the top-rated area: an eddy pocket in about 45 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in summer. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish Piscataqua River?

For smallmouth 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Piscataqua River?

Fishing on Piscataqua River 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.

Nearby waters

Portsmouth Harbor 1 mi, NH/ME · Little Harbor 2 mi · EEL POND 7 mi · Bellamy River 9 mi · Gosport Harbor 9 mi, ME · Squamscott River 10 mi · Cape Neddick Harbor 10 mi, ME · EXETER RESERVOIR 12 mi · BARBADOES POND 13 mi · Hampton Harbor 13 mi · Willand Pond 13 mi · Bellamy Reservoir 14 mi

See how Piscataqua River 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

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.