Trout-managed waters offer anglers the chance to experience exciting fishing in some of the Granite State’s most scenic surroundings. You can fish in many of New Hampshire’s managed trout ponds starting on the fourth Saturday in April, and this year’s opening day is April 27. These waters include “designated trout ponds” and “fly-fishing-only ponds,” which are open through October 14. Ponds that are managed for wild trout are open only through Labor Day.
Ponds managed for trout could be stocked with one or more species of fish, including brook, rainbow, and brown trout of various age classes. “These trout ponds are often the best waters in a given area for a variety of reasons,” said New Hampshire Fish and Game Department of Inland Fisheries Chief Dianne Timmins. “Excellent habitat, limited species predation, low angling competition, and the fact that these ponds are closed to ice fishing allow the fish to grow larger, offering a more challenging experience for the trout-fishing enthusiast.”
Anglers looking for a true wilderness experience will enjoy visiting one of the nearly 50 remote trout ponds that Fish and Game stocks annually with fingerling brook trout via helicopter and backpack hike-ins. Fingerling brook trout stocked in these waters can often measure over 8 inches by their second growing season.
Archery Pond in Allenstown, which has an ADA-accessible casting platform, and Stonehouse Pond in Barrington are two popular fly-fishing-only ponds that will be well stocked for opening day. Further north, some excellent fly-fishing-only ponds include Upper Hall Pond in Sandwich, Sky Pond in New Hampton, and Profile Lake in Franconia, which now also has an ADA-accessible casting platform. Check the NH Freshwater Fishing Digest for special regulations on these waters at https://www.eregulations.com/newhampshire/fishing/freshwater.
“Trout are prized by anglers because fishing for them is one of the traditional rites of spring, and they are beautiful,” Timmins said. “Whether your passion is the blue-haloed brook trout, a leaping pink-striped rainbow, or the determined fight of a brown, there’s a trout pond within a reasonable driving distance to challenge your skills.”
For a list of trout ponds and fly-fishing-only ponds in New Hampshire, as well as a description of special rules that apply to certain ponds, consult the New Hampshire Freshwater Fishing Digest, available online at www.eregulations.com/newhampshire/fishing/freshwater, from any Fish and Game agent where you buy your license, or by visiting https://www.wildlife.nh.gov/fishing-new-hampshire/trout-fishing-new-hampshire.
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