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Mascoma Lake

Enfield · Lebanon, New Hampshire — NH Fish & Game Region 2 (Lakes Region).

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1,158Surface acres
68 ftMax depth
30 ftAverage depth
MesotrophicTrophic class (NHDES)
Cold / WarmFishery type
2Public 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 Mascoma Lake is in New Hampshire

The red circle marks Mascoma Lake.

Fast facts

About Mascoma Lake

  • County: Grafton
  • Shore towns: Enfield, Lebanon
  • Watershed: Connecticut River basin (NHDES)
  • Type: Natural lake or pond (NHDES)
  • NH Fish & Game: Region 2 (Lakes Region)
  • Distance: about 42 mi from Concord, NH and 103 mi from Boston, straight-line (not driving distance)
  • Getting there (NHFG): Rt 4A at dam
  • Access (NHFG): State ramp and beach area; or launch near dam
  • Lake group: Mascoma Lake 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

Mascoma Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Boat Facility (near dam) (Boat launch)1Boat Launch & Beach Area (Boat launch)2Shakoma Town Beach (Beach)31 mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchBeach
  1. 1Boat Facility (near dam)
    Boat launch · Lebanon
  2. 2Boat Launch & Beach Area
    Boat launch · Enfield
  3. 3Shakoma Town Beach
    Beach

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 120802878), 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

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 (43.6281, -72.1457). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Mascoma 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 Mascoma 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.

    Ice-out on Mascoma Lake

    Average ice-outApril 10
    Earliest on recordMarch 17, 2024
    Latest on recordApril 26, 2018
    Most recent (2025)April 4
    Last 10 years, averageApril 10
    average April 10Mar 18Apr 26201720252017: April 172018: April 262019: April 212020: April 62021: April 82022: April 72024: March 172025: April 4

    8 years of ice-out dates recorded by NHDES (2017–2025). Dates are the day the lake was declared clear of ice.

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

    Fish you can catch

    Rainbow trout ★Brown trout ★Landlocked salmon ★Smallmouth bassLargemouth bassChain pickerelBrown bullhead (horned pout)White perchBlack crappieRock bassYellow perch

    ★ = stocked in 2026. Species list from NHFG Fishing Guide codes: RT, BT, SMB, LMB, ECP, BBH, WP, BC, RB, YP (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, 3,679 fish in total.

    DateSpeciesFishLbsHatchery
    Apr 28, 2026Rainbow trout (1+ yr)900428Warren
    May 7, 2026Landlocked salmon (1+ yr)479114Nashua (Federal)
    May 12, 2026Rainbow trout (1+ yr)800400Warren
    May 16, 2026Brown trout (1+ yr)1,500432Berlin

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

    Pulled Oct 10, 2026.

    Fishing seasons & limits

    Statewide general rules Mascoma 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
    Rock bassno closed season, no limit

    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

    2 public access sites listed, 2 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Boat Facility (near dam)LebanonState - DESTrailer · Concrete log rampGravelNo feeFishing, Boating, Picnic, Restrooms
    No personal watercraft; Access: Limited
    43.6483, -72.1814
    Boat Launch & Beach AreaEnfieldState - DOT (RTPW)Trailer/Ramp · Paved rampGravelNo feeFishing, Boating, Swimming, Picnic, Restrooms
    Access: Partial/Limited
    43.6307, -72.1574

    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 Mascoma 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

    Documented on Mascoma Lake

    NHDES control status: Diver hand removal and suction harvesting keeping infestation low.

    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.

    Public beaches

    1 beach is in the NHDES Public Beach Inspection Program, which tests for E. coli bacteria in summer.

    BeachStatusLast sampleE. coli (cts/100 mL)Advisories this seasonAnnual report
    Shakoma Town BeachMonitoring Season CompletedAug 12, 2026left: 7.5 right: 8.6None listedReport

    NHDES Healthy Swimming Mapper · NHDES Public Beach Program

    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 testingState-tested beaches
    1 beach on Mascoma Lake is sampled by NHDES; see Public beaches.

    Check before you swim: the NHDES Healthy Swimming Mapper is updated daily. NHDES history: cyanobacteria notices for Mascoma 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 B (NH surface water classification)
    NHDES lake surveys1976, 1985, 2000, 2008
    Volunteer monitoringPart of the NHDES Volunteer Lake Assessment Program (VLAP)
    Fish consumptionNHDES mercury report for Mascoma Lake

    NHDES Lake Information Mapper

    Contact & official info

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    Lakes & ponds nearby

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