Lake Winnipesaukee

Location & fast facts

Lake map

Lake Winnipesaukee shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Open interactive map

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 107204653), 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.

Conditions right now

Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (43.6034, -71.3241). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Lake Winnipesaukee. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

Sun, moon & best fishing times

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.

Ice-out on Lake Winnipesaukee

140 years of ice-out dates recorded by NHDES (1887–2026). Dates are the day the lake was declared clear of ice.

NHDES ice-out record for Lake Winnipesaukee (updated September 23, 2026)

Fish you can catch

★ = stocked in 2026. Species list from NHFG Fishing Guide codes: RT, LLS, LT, LW, SMB, LMB, ECP, BBH, WP, BC, BG, RB, BRB (names decoded by us; NHFG does not publish the legend with the layer). NHFG fishery type: Cold/Warm.

NHFG NH Freshwater Fishing Guide layer

2026 stocking

4 stocking trips in 2026, 32,466 fish in total.

NHFG Fish Stocking (2026) feature service · NHFG stocking report

Pulled Oct 10, 2026.

Seasons & rules for Lake Winnipesaukee

The 2026 NH Freshwater Fishing Digest lists Lake Winnipesaukee as a Lake Trout and/or Salmon Lake.

Additional rule for this water: The areas of the lake that lie within 500 feet of Gunstock River, Poor Farm Brook, Melvin River, Merrymeeting River, Mink Brook, and Smith River (outlet of Crescent Lake), and the lake area of Lake Winnipesaukee 500 feet on either side of the Main Street bridge in Wolfeboro, are closed to all fishing from Oct. 16 to Dec. 31. The following two areas of the lake are closed to all fishing October 1 through March 31: the area of Paugus Bay which lies between the railroad trestle at its south end and the Lakeport Dam in Laconia; the area of open water (the area not normally covered by ice in winter) at Weirs Channel. 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.

Boat launches & access sites

34 public access sites listed, 17 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

NH Access Sites to Public Waters (NH OPD / NHFG)

Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.

Boating rules on Lake Winnipesaukee

• RSA 270-D, X - Speed limit of 45 mph during daylight hours and 30 mph during the period from ½ hour after sunset to ½ hour before sunrise. (See Revised Statutes Annotated, RSA 270-D - General Rules for Vessels Operating on Water, subsection X, for complete statute) RSA 270:74-a - Blackeys Cove, Salmon Meadow Cove, Green's Basin. Skicraft banned 12/01/89. RSA 270:74-a - Cedar Cove. Skicraft banned 10/31/96. RSA 270:74-a - Skicraft banned in the cove west of Bear Island defined by an imaginary line running south from Jerry Point on Bear Island to the western most point of Rock Island to the western most point of Shepard Island to the southwest tip of Bear Island. Effective date 10/23/98. RSA 270:74-a - Pickerel Cove - speed limit for skicraft - 08/23/02. SAF-C 402.88 (a)- (av) - Numerous "NO WAKE" zones which can be identified on a Navigational Chart of Lake Winnipesaukee. SAF-C 404.10 - Back Bay Channel, Wolfeboro, all vessels leaving Back Bay Channel shall have the right of way from all vessels, except for canoes, rowboats and sailboats, pursuant to RSA 270-D:2, IX, entering the channel. SAF-C404.11 - Weirs Beach Restriction - There may be temporary restrictions on anchoring, mooring and/or rafting in the Weirs Beach area should the Commissioner of Safety determine that such restriction shall be implemented. If such a restriction is implemented, the Commissioner shall issue public notice through a press release to print, radio and television media at least three days prior to the effective date which will include effective date and time of restriction, ending date and time of restriction, reason for restriction and description of area to be restricted. SAF-C 407.03 - Rafting as defined in RSA 2760:42 V shall be prohibited in the following areas of Lake Winnipesaukee unless covered by one of the exceptions specified inRSA 270:45: (1) The Kona Mansion, so called, in Moultonborough, east of an imaginary line running north and south from the red top marker buoy located on the western tip of Avery's Point on the south to the Kona Farm gas docks on the north. (2) Small's Cove in Alton, southwest of an imaginary line running southeast northwest from the light 75 on the northwestern end to the northernmost point of land marking the entrance to the first cove, south of Small's Cove on the south. (3) Wentworth Cove, southwest of Governor's Island Bridge west of an imaginary north-south line, running from light 43 on the north to the black top buoy located off Wentworth Cove Estates on the south. (4) Braun Bay - There shall be no rafting within 300 feet of both fish and game property lines as delineated by Marine Patrol with orange mooring balls. Boat Restriction - area of Paugus Bay - contact Laconia for regulations. Public Water Supply (5) Braun Bay at a distance less than 75 feet from shore lines as delineated by Marine Patrol with orange mooring balls. (6) Cedar Cove, specifically identified as the area opposite Plum Island which borders Alton tax map 18, lot No. 12 through 20 and 55. (7) Winter Harbor from the southern boundary of the Tuftonboro tax map 63, lot No. 14 to the southern boundary of tax map 51, lot No. 20. (8) The entire area known as Green's Basin, in the town of Moultonborough. (9) Orchard Cove, on the east side of Cow Island, in the town of Tuftonboro. (10) The entire area known as Buzzell Cove, in the town of Moultonborough. (11) Brickyard Cove, encompassing a described area that would run south of an imaginary line running about 2,300 feet from the northern tip of lay Point to the southern tip of Barndoor Island. (12) The entire area known as Black Cove, in the town of Meredith, encompassing an area in Meredith tax map S-7, east from the northern most point of Lot 5-1 to the southeastern most point of Lot 1. (13) The entire area known as East Cove, in the town of Moultonborough. (14) The entire area known as Advent Cove, in the town of Meredith. (15) PENDING FOR 2009 - Roberts Cove in the town of AltonBoat Restriction - area of Paugus Bay - contact Laconia for regulations. Public Water Supply. (15) Roberts Cove, in the town of Alton, encompassing a described area as between the body of water in Roberts Cove, east of a line running north to south from the westerly boundary of lot 41 on tax map 48 to the westerly boundary of lot 1 on tax map 48.

The 2026 Fishing Digest also notes: No wake area and speed 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.

Public beaches

6 beaches are in the NHDES Public Beach Inspection Program, which tests for E. coli bacteria in summer.

NHDES Healthy Swimming Mapper · NHDES Public Beach Program

As of Oct 10, 2026.

Safe to swim?

Check before you swim: the NHDES Healthy Swimming Mapper is updated daily. If you see a bloom, stay out of the water, keep pets out, and report it to NHDES.

Contact & official info

• NH Fish & Game Region 2 (Lakes Region), Box 417, New Hampton · (603) 744-5470 · reg2@wildlife.nh.gov
• Report a fish or game violation: NHFG conservation officers.
• Depth map: NHFG bathymetry map for Lake Winnipesaukee (PDF)

Lakes & ponds nearby

• Paugus Bay · Laconia · 1,227 acres · connected (same mapped lake)
• The Basin · Tuftonboro · 55 acres · 2.4 mi
• Mirror Lake · Tuftonboro · 333 acres · 3.3 mi
• Farm Pond · Gilford · 0.4 acres · 4.4 mi
• Whitten Pond · Tuftonboro · 4.3 acres · 4.6 mi
• Gunstock Mtn Recreation Pond · Gilford · 3.6 acres · 4.7 mi

Straight-line distance between lake centers. All New Hampshire lakes & ponds · All waters in Moultonborough