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56-acre reservoir near Rochester/Barrington. NH GRANIT / NH Fish & Game survey water. The lake tops out around 20 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 56 acres wrapped in 1.6 miles of bank. A middling shoreline index (1.5) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. 57% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 0.8 mi. Strafford County claims this one. If the bite dies, Round Pond is 1 mi to the south.
Spring smallmouth bass on Rochester Reservoir hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 6 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 20 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 20 ft, good for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring puts pumpkinseed in skinny water — 1 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 2 to 10 ft; cold water stacks them in 6 to 18 ft. Back-bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring pumpkinseed. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring brown bullhead on Rochester Reservoir hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 3 to 12 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 20 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 20 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) |
In spring, chain pickerel run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 18 ft. Back-bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring chain pickerel. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Rochester Reservoir carries 3 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 20 ft down.
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 Rochester Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Hampshire fishing regulations →
Rochester Reservoir is about 20 ft (6 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 smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, chain pickerel on Rochester Reservoir.
Back-bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for pumpkinseed in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
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.
Fishing on Rochester Reservoir 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.
Round Pond 1 mi · Ayers Pond 2 mi · Baxter Lake 3 mi · Nippo Pond 5 mi · STONEHOUSE POND 6 mi · Swains Lake 7 mi · Bow Lake 7 mi · WINKLEY LAKE 7 mi · LILY POND (STRAFFORD) 8 mi · Mendums Pond 8 mi · Bellamy Reservoir 8 mi · BARBADOES POND 9 mi
See how Rochester Reservoir stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in New Hampshire · best chain pickerel lakes in New Hampshire · best pumpkinseed lakes in New Hampshire · best brown bullhead lakes in New Hampshire
More water nearby: Strafford County fishing maps (26 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.