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Massabesic Lake

Auburn · Manchester, New Hampshire — NH Fish & Game Inland Fisheries Division (Concord headquarters).

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2,560Surface acres
50 ftMax depth
17 ftAverage depth
MesotrophicTrophic class (NHDES)
Cold / WarmFishery type
4Public 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 Massabesic Lake is in New Hampshire

The red circle marks Massabesic Lake.

Fast facts

About Massabesic Lake

  • Counties: Rockingham, Hillsborough
  • Shore towns: Auburn, Manchester
  • Watershed: Merrimack River basin (NHDES)
  • Type: Natural lake or pond (NHDES)
  • NH Fish & Game: Inland Fisheries Division (Concord headquarters)
  • Distance: about 18 mi from Concord, NH and 46 mi from Boston, straight-line (not driving distance)
  • Getting there (NHFG): Rt 121
  • Access (NHFG): Clair's Landing ramp; Candia Rd ramp; DeerNeck launch

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.

Lake map

Massabesic Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Candia Road Boat Launch (Boat launch)1Clair's Landing (Boat launch)2Deerneck Bridge Cartop Launch (Boat launch)3Massabesic Lake Picnic Area (Cartop / walk-in)41 mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchCartop / walk-in
  1. 1Candia Road Boat Launch
    Boat launch · Auburn
  2. 2Clair's Landing
    Boat launch · Auburn
  3. 3Deerneck Bridge Cartop Launch
    Boat launch · Auburn
  4. 4Massabesic Lake Picnic Area
    Cartop / walk-in · Auburn

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 135909629), 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 (42.9826, -71.3526). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Massabesic 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 Massabesic 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 Massabesic Lake

    Average ice-outMarch 25
    Earliest on recordMarch 3, 2016
    Latest on recordApril 14, 2015
    Most recent (2026)March 30
    Last 10 years, averageMarch 25
    average March 25Mar 4Apr 14201520262015: April 142016: March 32017: April 92018: March 302019: March 312020: March 112021: March 242022: March 202023: March 292024: March 72025: March 232026: March 30

    12 years of ice-out dates recorded by NHDES (2015–2026). Dates are the day the lake was declared clear of ice.

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

    Fish you can catch

    Brook trout ★Rainbow trout ★Brown trout ★Smallmouth bassLargemouth bassChain pickerelBrown bullhead (horned pout)White perchNorthern pikeBlack crappieBluegillAmerican eelYellow perch

    ★ = stocked in 2026. Species list from NHFG Fishing Guide codes: EBT, RT, BT, SMB, LMB, ECP, BBH, WP, NP, BC, BG, AE, 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

    6 stocking trips in 2026, 3,710 fish in total.

    DateSpeciesFishLbsHatchery
    Apr 17, 2026Brook trout (1+ yr)1,030294Milford
    Apr 17, 2026Brown trout (1+ yr)25090Milford
    Apr 17, 2026Rainbow trout (1+ yr)575262Milford
    Apr 28, 2026Brook trout (1+ yr)1,030258Milford
    Apr 28, 2026Brown trout (1+ yr)25090Milford
    Apr 28, 2026Rainbow trout (1+ yr)575204Milford

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

    Pulled Oct 10, 2026.

    Fishing seasons & limits

    Statewide general rules Massabesic 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
    Northern pikeno closed season, 1/day, 28" min

    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

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

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Candia Road Boat LaunchAuburnOther - Manchester WWTrailer/Ramp · Gravel ramp · dockGravelNo feeFishing, Boating
    35 MPH limit, No personal watercraft; Access: Limited
    43.0068, -71.3855
    Clair's LandingAuburnOther - Manchester WWTrailer/Ramp · Gravel ramp · dockGravelNo feeFishing, Boating
    35 MPH limit, No personal watercraft; Access: Limited
    42.9997, -71.3454
    Deerneck Bridge Cartop LaunchAuburnOther - Manchester WWCartop · Gravel rampGravelNo feeFishing, Boating
    Cartop launch only; no motorized boats; Access: Limited
    42.9881, -71.3751
    Massabesic Lake Picnic AreaAuburnOther - Manchester WWParkPavedNo feeFishing, Picnic, Restrooms
    No swimming or wading; Access: Partial
    43.0027, -71.3901

    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 Massabesic 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 Massabesic Lake

    NHDES control status: Diver hand removal, suction harvesting and benthic barriers. Infestation in check.

    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. 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 surveys1980, 2000
    Fish consumptionNHDES mercury report for Massabesic Lake

    NHDES Lake Information Mapper

    Contact & official info

    Lakes & ponds nearby

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