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6,765-acre reservoir near Holderness. The lake tops out around 95 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
The drawn water covers 6,802 acres wrapped in 72.9 miles of bank, with 25 islands in the mix. With a shoreline index of 6.3, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. 37% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Tip to tip the water measures near 5.9 mi with a 4.8-mi widest point. It sits in Belknap County. If the bite dies, White Oak Pond is 3 mi to the southwest.
Spring smallmouth bass on Squam Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 45 ft. Put Rock reef first on the milk run — a rock pile near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run 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 | Rock reef (3 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (11 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (11 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Sharp break (39 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 7 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (7 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (11 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (39 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 40 ft. Start at Sharp break. It's a drop-off holding about 39 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (6 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (11 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (29 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Sharp break (39 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (7 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Sharp break (11 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (11 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (25 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring crappie on Squam Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 10 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 7 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (7 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (11 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Back-bay flat (11 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (94 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Early season lake trout use the shallows, holding in 10 to 40 ft. Expect a summer slide to 29 to 95 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 80 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 94 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (29 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 29 to 95 ft | dawn | Deep basin (94 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Shoreline point (29 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Sharp break (39 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Squam Lake 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), lake whitefish (40 to 90 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), burbot (29 to 95 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 20 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 94 ft.
Access data: New Hampshire Fish & Game — Public Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 13 | Rainbow Trout | 1,300 | — |
| May 13 | Rainbow Trout | 2,617 | — |
| May 1 | Landlocked Salmon | 3,911 | — |
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 Squam Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Hampshire fishing regulations →
Squam Lake is about 95 ft (29 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, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, yellow perch, crappie, lake trout, landlocked salmon, chain pickerel, brown bullhead, lake whitefish, rock bass, white perch, pumpkinseed, burbot, bluegill on Squam Lake.
Rock reef is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass 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.
Yes — per NH Fish & Game stocking report records, Squam Lake was most recently stocked May 13 with 1,300 rainbow trout. The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Squam 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.
White Oak Pond 3 mi · Wakondah Pond 3 mi · Kusumpe Pond 3 mi · Squam Lake, Little 4 mi · Lake Kanasatka 4 mi · Hawkins Pond 4 mi · Barville Pond 4 mi · Perch Pond 5 mi · Winona Lake 5 mi · Dinsmore Pond 5 mi · Jackson Pond 6 mi · Garland Pond 6 mi
See how Squam 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: 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.