US lakes & pondsUS lakes & pondsSunapee · Newbury · New London, New Hampshire — NH Fish & Game Region 2 (Lakes Region). Listed as a Lake Trout and/or Salmon in the 2026 Fishing Digest.
Source: NH Fish & Game NH Freshwater Fishing Guide layer (2026; depth/area/trophic from NHDES). Depth map: NHFG bathymetry map (PDF).
The red circle marks Lake Sunapee.
Towns and counties: NHFG, NHDES and U.S. Census town boundaries (shore towns found by overlaying the lake outline).
As of 2026-10-10. Check the official source before you go.
Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.
Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 120804340), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: NH Access Sites to Public Waters (NH OPD / NHFG) and NHDES beach program. Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.
Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (43.3763, -72.0520). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Lake Sunapee. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.
Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in ET (America/New_York), and accurate to within a few minutes.
158 years of ice-out dates recorded by NHDES (1869–2026). Dates are the day the lake was declared clear of ice.
NHDES ice-out record for Lake Sunapee (updated September 23, 2026)
★ = stocked in 2026. Species list from NHFG Fishing Guide codes: LLS, LT, SMB, LMB, ECP, BBH, RB, BRB (names decoded by us; NHFG does not publish the legend with the layer). NHFG fishery type: Cold/Warm.
2 stocking trips in 2026, 4,013 fish in total.
| Date | Species | Fish | Lbs | Hatchery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 30, 2026 | Landlocked salmon (1+ yr) | 3,313 | 440 | Milford |
| May 11, 2026 | Rainbow trout (1+ yr) | 700 | 350 | Warren |
NHFG Fish Stocking (2026) feature service · NHFG stocking report
Pulled Oct 10, 2026.
The 2026 NH Freshwater Fishing Digest lists Lake Sunapee as a Lake Trout and/or Salmon Lake.
Additional rule for this water: The area of the lake that lies within 500 feet of Otter Brook shall be closed to all fishing from Oct. 16 to Dec. 31. All tributaries will be closed to fishing Oct. 16 to May 31. When trolling to take fish: Only one artificial bait, one fly, one tandem fly or one bait shall be used per rod; and, Only one hook with a single hook point shall be used with bait.
2026 NH Freshwater Fishing Digest: Lakes & Ponds with Special Rules · General Rules
Summary only; other species follow the general rules. As of Oct 10, 2026.
12 public access sites listed, 4 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.
| Site | Town | Owner | Type | Parking | Fee | Uses | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blodgetts Boat Launch | Newbury | Other - Cottage Owners Assoc. | Cartop · Gravel ramp | Gravel | No fee | Boating Access: Difficult | 43.3699, -72.0390 |
| Burkehaven Harbor | Sunapee | Private | Trailer/Ramp · Gravel ramp | Limited | No fee | Boating Rock hazard just offshore; Access: Undetermined | 43.3753, -72.0708 |
| Sunapee Harbor | Sunapee | Town - Sunapee | Trailer/Ramp · Paved ramp · dock | Paved | No fee | Boating, Picnic, Restrooms No wake area; Other restrictions; Access: Partial | 43.3855, -72.0803 |
| Sunapee State Park Boat Ramp | Newbury | State - DNCR | Trailer · Concrete log ramp | Paved | Fee | Fishing, Boating, Swimming, Picnic, Restrooms Shallow channel thru breakwaters; Other restrictions; Access: Partial | 43.3441, -72.0622 |
| Blodgett Town Dock | Newbury | Town - Newbury | Swimming · dock | Limited | No fee | Fishing, Boating, Swimming Access: Difficult | 43.3726, -72.0426 |
| Dewey Beach | Sunapee | Town - Sunapee | Beach/Picnic | Gravel | Residents only | Swimming, Picnic, Restrooms Town residents only; Access: Limited | 43.3952, -72.0813 |
| Georges Mill Beach | Sunapee | Town - Sunapee | Beach/Rec Area · Paved ramp | Paved | No fee | Fishing, Boating, Swimming, Picnic, Restrooms Town sticker required; No wake area; Other restrictions; Access: Partial | 43.4301, -72.0668 |
| Gordon WMA | Sunapee | State - NHFG | Walk-in | Unimproved | No fee | Fishing Access: Limited | 43.4198, -72.0601 |
| Newbury Harbor Beach | Newbury | Town - Newbury | Beach/Cartop · dock | Paved | No fee | Boating, Swimming, Picnic, Restrooms 2-hour parking; Access: Partial | 43.3221, -72.0378 |
| Soo-Nipi Park | New London | Town - New London | Cartop | None at site | No fee | Boating Boat access only - no beach access; Access: Limited | 43.3895, -72.0403 |
| Sunapee Lake Boat Ramp | Newbury | State - NHFG | Undeveloped | Gravel | No fee | Fishing Access: Undetermined | 43.3323, -72.0444 |
| Sunapee State Park Beach | Newbury | State - DNCR | Swimming | Paved | Fee | Fishing, Boating, Swimming, Picnic, Restrooms Boat ramp at north end of parking lot; Access: Partial | 43.3433, -72.0614 |
NH Access Sites to Public Waters (NH OPD / NHFG)
Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.
The 2026 Fishing Digest also notes: Speed and other restrictions.
NH State Police Marine Patrol, Restricted Bodies of Water
These are the restrictions listed for this water. Statewide boating laws (RSA 270, Saf-C 400) also apply. As of Oct 10, 2026.
None documented NHDES lists no known invasive species in Lake Sunapee.
NHDES Lake Information Mapper · RSA 487:16-d · RSA 487:16-c
As of Oct 10, 2026.
2 beaches are in the NHDES Public Beach Inspection Program, which tests for E. coli bacteria in summer.
| Beach | Status | Last sample | E. coli (cts/100 mL) | Advisories this season | Annual report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dewey Town Beach | Monitoring Season Completed | Aug 3, 2026 | left: 11.9 center: 2.0 right: <1 | None listed | Report |
| Sunapee State Park Beach | Monitoring Season Completed | Aug 3, 2026 | left: 4.1 center: 1.0 right: 3.1 | None listed | Report |
NHDES Healthy Swimming Mapper · NHDES Public Beach Program
As of Oct 10, 2026.
Check before you swim: the NHDES Healthy Swimming Mapper is updated daily. NHDES history: cyanobacteria notices for Lake Sunapee. If you see a bloom, stay out of the water, keep pets out, and report it to NHDES.
| Trophic class | Oligotrophic (clear, low-nutrient) |
| Water quality class | Class A (NH surface water classification) |
| NHDES lake surveys | 1979, 1986, 1995, 2006 |
| Volunteer monitoring | Part of the NHDES Volunteer Lake Assessment Program (VLAP) |
| Fish consumption | NHDES mercury report for Lake Sunapee |
Straight-line distance between lake centers. All New Hampshire lakes & ponds · All waters in Sunapee