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Little Sunapee Lake

New London · Springfield, New Hampshire — NH Fish & Game Region 2 (Lakes Region).

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486Surface acres
43 ftMax depth
14 ftAverage depth
MesotrophicTrophic class (NHDES)
Cold / WarmFishery type
3Public access sites

Source: NH Fish & Game NH Freshwater Fishing Guide layer (2026; depth/area/trophic from NHDES). Depth map: NHFG bathymetry map (PDF).

Location & fast facts

Where Little Sunapee Lake is in New Hampshire

The red circle marks Little Sunapee Lake.

Fast facts

About Little Sunapee Lake

  • Counties: Merrimack, Sullivan
  • Shore towns: New London, Springfield
  • Watershed: Connecticut River basin (NHDES)
  • Type: Natural lake or pond (NHDES)
  • NH Fish & Game: Region 2 (Lakes Region)
  • Distance: about 28 mi from Concord, NH and 88 mi from Boston, straight-line (not driving distance)
  • Getting there (NHFG): Rt 114
  • Access (NHFG): Northwest Bay
  • Lake group: Little Sunapee Protective Association

Towns and counties: NHFG, NHDES and U.S. Census town boundaries (shore towns found by overlaying the lake outline).

Fishing in New Hampshire

  • 2026 fishing license: Resident $45 · Non-resident $63 · 1-day $10 / $15 NHFG
  • Kids: Under 16 fish free, no license needed NHFG
  • Free fishing days 2026: Sat Jan 17 & Sat Jun 6 (3rd Sat in Jan, 1st Sat in June) NH Digest
  • Lakes & ponds: Almost 1,000 public lakes and ponds NHDES
  • Buy a license: Online or at about 250 local license agents NHFG
  • Ice fishing: Most waters: ice-in to ice-out. Lake trout/salmon lakes: Jan 1–Mar 31, no keeping salmon. Trout ponds closed. Bob houses off by Apr 1 NH Digest
  • Regulations: 2026 NH Freshwater Fishing Digest

As of 2026-10-10. Check the official source before you go.

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Lake map

Little Sunapee Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Little Sunapee Dam (Boat launch)1Bucklin Beach (Beach)2Northwest Bay (Beach)31 mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchBeach
  1. 1Little Sunapee Dam
    Boat launch · New London
  2. 2Bucklin Beach
    Beach · New London
  3. 3Northwest Bay
    Beach · New London

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 120803654), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: NH Access Sites to Public Waters (NH OPD / NHFG). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Conditions right now

Air temperature & conditions (nearest NWS station)Loading…
Fetching the latest National Weather Service observation…

Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (43.4323, -72.0122). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Little Sunapee Lake. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

Sun, moon & best fishing times

Sun & moon at Little Sunapee Lake

Best fishing times

Major periodMinor periodDaylight

    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.

    Fish you can catch

    Rainbow trout ★Largemouth bassSmallmouth bassChain pickerelBrown bullhead (horned pout)

    ★ = stocked in 2026. Species list from NHFG Fishing Guide codes: RT, LMB, SMB, ECP, BBH (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

    1 stocking trip in 2026, 500 fish in total.

    DateSpeciesFishLbsHatchery
    May 11, 2026Rainbow trout (1+ yr)500250Warren

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

    Pulled Oct 10, 2026.

    Fishing seasons & limits

    Statewide general rules Little Sunapee Lake is not listed as a Lake Trout/Salmon Lake or Trout Pond in the 2026 Digest, so New Hampshire's general lake & pond rules apply to the species found here.

    SpeciesSeason & limits (general rules)
    TroutOpen water (ice-out to ice-in): 5 fish or 5 lb/day, no length limit. Through the ice: 2/day
    Black bassJan 1–May 14: 2/day · May 15–Jun 15: catch-and-release, artificial lures & flies only · Jun 16–Dec 31: 5/day
    Chain pickerelno closed season, 10/day
    Perch, crappie, sunfish & horned poutno closed season, 25/day each, 50 total

    2026 NH Freshwater Fishing Digest: Lakes & Ponds General Rules · Lakes & Ponds with Special Rules

    Summary only. Check the current Digest before you fish. As of Oct 10, 2026.

    Boat launches & access sites

    3 public access sites listed, 1 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Little Sunapee DamNew LondonState - DESBoat Launch · Gravel rampGravelNo feeFishing, Boating, Picnic, Restrooms
    No personal watercraft; Access: Limited
    43.4280, -72.0342
    Bucklin BeachNew LondonTown - New LondonBeach/PicnicPavedResidents onlySwimming, Picnic, Restrooms
    Town residents only; Access: Partial
    43.4345, -72.0025
    Northwest BayNew LondonState ROWBeach/CartopRoadsideNo feeBoating
    Access: Limited
    43.4389, -72.0192

    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 Little Sunapee Lake

    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.

    Invasive species

    None documented NHDES lists no known invasive species in Little Sunapee Lake.

    Clean, Drain, Dry is NH law. Drain your boat, live wells, bilges and gear when you leave any water, travel with drain plugs out (RSA 487:16-d), and don't carry plants or weeds on your boat, trailer or vehicle (RSA 487:16-c). NH LAKES Lake Host.

    NHDES Lake Information Mapper · RSA 487:16-d · RSA 487:16-c

    As of Oct 10, 2026.

    Safe to swim?

    Toxic algae (cyanobacteria): NHDES statusChecking NHDES…
    Live from the NHDES Healthy Swimming Mapper. NHDES issues warnings May 15–Oct 15.
    Beach bacteria testingNot state-tested
    NHDES: Does not participate in NHDES' Public Beach Inspection Program.

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

    Water quality

    Trophic classMesotrophic (moderate nutrients)
    Water quality classClass A (NH surface water classification)
    NHDES lake surveys1979, 1994, 2008
    Volunteer monitoringPart of the NHDES Volunteer Lake Assessment Program (VLAP)
    Fish consumptionNHDES mercury report for Little Sunapee Lake

    NHDES Lake Information Mapper

    Contact & official info

    More trip ideas PLACEHOLDER AFFILIATE LINKS

    Lakes & ponds nearby

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