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Punch Pond

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

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10Surface acres

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

Location & fast facts

Where Punch Pond is in New Hampshire

The red circle marks Punch Pond.

Fast facts

About Punch Pond

  • County: Rockingham
  • Town: Sandown
  • Watershed: Merrimack River basin (NHDES)
  • NH Fish & Game: Inland Fisheries Division (Concord headquarters)
  • Distance: about 28 mi from Concord, NH and 39 mi from Boston, straight-line (not driving distance)

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

Punch Pond shoreline

1 mileN

No public access sites are listed for this water in the NH Access Sites data.

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 135909788), 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 (42.9192, -71.1543). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Punch Pond. 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 Punch Pond

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.

    Fishing seasons & limits

    Statewide general rules Punch Pond 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.

    SpeciesSeason & limits (general rules)
    Black bassJan 1–May 14: 2/day · May 15–Jun 15: catch-and-release · Jun 16–Dec 31: 5/day
    TroutOpen water: 5 fish or 5 lb/day; through the ice: 2/day
    Perch, crappie, sunfish, horned poutNo closed season, 25/day each, 50 total
    Chain pickerelNo closed season, 10/day

    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.

    Invasive species

    None documented NHDES lists no known invasive species in Punch Pond.

    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

    Water quality classClass B (NH surface water classification)
    NHDES lake surveysNo trophic report available.
    Fish consumptionNHDES mercury report for Punch Pond

    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 Sandown