Take Me Fishing!™

New Hampshire Fish and Game Department

Great North Woods

Shoreline Fishing Guide

fishnh.com

© S

CU

LPIE

S / D

REA

MST

IME.

CO

M

Just step outside to find scenic fishing here in wild New Hampshire – we’ve got great fishing around every corner:

u 12,000 miles of river and streams.

u 975 lakes and ponds.

u Fishing for bass, trout, salmon, pike, walleye, pickerel, perch and more…

u Record big fish – and some wily wild fish too!

u Scenic vistas and wildlife abound.

u Nearly a million trout stocked each year – just for you!

WHY FISH NH?

fishnh.com

Learn more about fishing in New Hampshire at

Your purchase of fishing tackle and motorboat fuels, along with license

sales, helps fund sport fish restoration and management in New Hampshire

NEW HAMPSHIRE FISH AND GAME DEPARTMENT 11 Hazen Drive l Concord, NH 03301 l (603) 271-2501

New Hampshire Fish and GameConnecting you to life outdoors™

CO

MP

OS

ITE

IMA

GE

/ D

RE

AM

ST

IME

.CO

M

Whether you’re fly-fishing for big rainbows or casting a line while enjoying a riverside picnic, fishing New Hampshire’s Great North Woods will be an experience to remember. Relax in scenic natural surroundings. Catch a glimpse of moose, osprey or loons. Pull in a fighting brookie. There’s no better place than New Hampshire’s North Country to get away from it all and go fishing.

From world-class fly-fishing waters to serene lakes and welcoming riverbank waysides, use this handy guide to find your own North Country fishing hole. Why wait?

Try these scenic shoreline sites in the Great North Woods, just a few of many great North Country fishing spots to enjoy:

l Connecticut River

l Little Diamond Pond

l Androscoggin River

l Upper Ammonoosuc River

North Country Fishing – The Great Escape!

Catch-and-releaseFishing for fun, not food? Make

sure you practice “catch-and-release.” A fish that is properly handled will have the best chance for survival.

Here’s how:

Residents can fish both banks of the Connecticut River with a N.H. license; nonresidents need a Vermont license to fish from the Vermont shorebank

Never remove a deeply swallowed hook from the fish’s throat or stomach — instead, cut the leader and leave the hook in the fish. It will eventually work free or rust away.

NORTH STRATFORD

ERROLCOLUMBIA

PITTSBURG

CLARKSVILLE

COLEBROOK

DIXVILLE

DUMMER

l Use barbless hooks or hooks with pinched barbs.l Land the fish quickly, so it does not become

exhausted or stressed.l Release the fish while it’s still in the water.l To remove the hook, gently back it out of the fish’s

mouth. You can use pliers for this.

CAMBRIDGE

SUCCESS

MILANSTARK

JEFFERSON

BERLIN

GORHAM

LakeUmbagog

Fish of the Great North Woods Fish Identification Chart

Use this handy guide to choose the best baits and to see what kind of fish you’ve caught.

Match Your Bait to Your CatchFISH ILLUSTRATIONS: brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, LM bass, SM bass, yellow perch, pickerel, bullhead, ©DUANE RAVER/USFWS ; ATLANTIC SALMON, © VICTOR YOUNG; CUSK, © JOSEPH TOMELLERI

Cha

in P

icke

rel

Fish and Game has a regional office in Lancaster; call (603) 788-3164The N.H. record chain pickerel is 8 lbs., 26” long

Artificial Baits

Flies(wet, dry, streamers)

Spoons

In-line spinnerbaits

Artificial puttybaits

Baits to Use Larg

emou

th B

ass

Sm

allm

outh

Bas

sYe

llow

Per

ch

Bro

ok T

rout

Rai

nbow

Tro

utB

row

n Tr

out

Land

lock

ed S

alm

on

Worms and crawlers

Crayfish

Hellgrammites

Minnows

Natural Baits

Bullh

ead

(hor

ned

pout

)

Cus

k (b

urbo

t)

fishnh.com

145

141

114114

102

26

3

3

3

1a

2

4

1b

1c

PITTSBURG

CLARKSVILLE

STEWARTSTOWN

COLEBROOK

COLUMBIA

ODELLSTRATFORD

VERMONT

QUEBECCANADA

Connecticut River

Anglers can expect to catch several species of trout – brook, brown and rainbow – as well as landlocked salmon, in this beautiful stretch of the Connecticut River downstream from its headwater lakes. An equal number of stocked and wild fish keep the action hot.

1. Pittsburg — Good access points include: (1a) a N.H. Fish and Game pull-off/kiosk near the State garage, (1b) Pittsburg-Clarksville covered bridge (locals call it Bacon Road Bridge) just south of town, and (1c) Murphy Dam parking area.

2. Canaan Dam, West Stewartstown This area offers wide, deep-water fishing for beginners or kids, while the fast water below the dam will test casting skills and frequently gives up monster brown trout. Good parking and fishing access.

3. Lyman Falls, Columbia — This stretch of river is awesome nursery habitat for coldwater fish, and anglers can catch naturally reproduced brook, brown and rainbow trout. Find good foot access to the river off Route 3 via a private gravel road. Note that only catch-and-release and artificial lures and flies may be used.

4. Little Diamond Pond, Stewartstown You’ll find some of the best shoreline trout fishing in Coos County at Little Diamond Pond. Anglers do very well from shore catching brook and rainbow trout. The parking lot can accommodate about 30 cars and boat trailers. On the shore of the pond, 1,500-acre Coleman State Park offers camping (no hook-ups), hiking and canoeing. For more information, visit nhstateparks.org.

For fly-fishing, try between the Connecticut Lakes, especially Magalloway Bridge to Greens Point, and First Connecticut Lake Dam to the Lake Francis inlet

Beckmans Point

Dead W

ater Stream

Bishop Brook

Mohawk River

Simm

s Stream

C

onn

ecticut

R

iver

Lake Francis

BigDiamondPond

LittleDiamondPond

Diamon

d P

ond

Rd

.

NASH STREAM FOREST

© T

.M. M

AD

SEN

/ D

REA

MST

IME.

CO

M

1 2 30

MILES

The entire length of the Androscoggin River is home to trout and smallmouth bass. From Errol to Berlin, the Androscoggin offers tremendous access and unlimited fishing opportunities, as the river parallels Route 16 for almost 20 miles.

1. Androscoggin Wayside State Park Located within the Thirteen Mile Woods natural area in Errol, this fishing and family-friendly area offers access to classic trout waters.

2. Seven Islands Bridge, Errol — An oppor-tunity to cross the river and cast from both sides into pool, riffle and glide sections of river.

3. Pontook Reservoir, Dummer Enjoy traditional, pond-style fishing in the impoundment. The river below the dam is a white-water trout fishery. Ample parking and boat launch.

4. Paul Bofinger Wayside State Park, Dummer — Allows access to an otherwise quiet and secluded section of river and can be a hotspot for taking smallmouth on a fly rod.

Androscoggin River

Kids under age 16 fish for freeLake Francis State Park in Pittsburg offers anglers a base for exploring the Connecticut Lakes

LongPond

Smoky Camp Brook

MunnPond

MoosePond

SessionsPond

PontookReservoir

An

dros

cogg

in

R

iv

er

Androscog

gin

Riv

er

Bear Brook

Millsfield Pond Rd.

Hill Road

Haw

kins Road

Blake

R

oad

Side River Road

PontookDam

© R

ICH

ARD

GU

NIO

N /

DRE

AM

STIM

E.C

OM

CAMBRIDGE

DUMMER

ERROL

MILLSFIELD 1

2

3

4

16

16

110A

26

1 2 30

MILES

Shake the bushes to see what the trout are eating

5. Nansen Wayside State Park, Milan Great fishing access and a popular spot for wading, picnicking and boating.

6. Northern Forest Heritage Park On Main Street in Berlin. Toss in your line at the park’s waterfront, then stop in at the logging camp museum to learn about the story of the working forest.

7. Further down the Androscoggin From the Sawmill Dam in Berlin through Shelburne to the Maine border, fishing for big browns and rainbows is phenomenal. Access the river from the whole length of Hogan Road (this road runs parallel to the river on the north side), and from Route 2 on the south side of the river. Below the Shelburne Dam, you’ll find great fishing with access via the state land on the south shore. This section of the river has no closed season, but is catch-and-release and single-hook artificial lure/fly only, giving the angler excellent opportunities at trophy fish.

Keep an eye out for rising water on rivers

ShelburneDam

An

dros coggin River

An

droscoggin River

Stearns Brook

Horne Brook

Bean Brook

C

ascade Alpine Brook

Rattle R

iv er

Lea

dmine Brook

Peabo dy B

rook

Austin Mill B

rook

Success Road

Side River Road

Cates Hill Road

Mila

n

Road

Hutchins S

treet

Success Pond Road

Hogan Road

North Road

Millbrook Road

Appalachian Trail

A

ppal

ac

hia

n Trail

Hig

hlan

d Pa

rk Ave.

© P

ETER

ZA

CH

AR

/ DRE

AM

STIM

E.C

OM

MILAN

16

110B

SUCCESS

BERLIN

SHELBURNE

GO

RH

AM16

16

5

6

7

2

1 2 30

MILES

Androscoggin River cont.

Anglers looking for a more solitary experience will enjoy the upstream reaches of the Upper Ammonoosuc River and the West Branch of the Upper Ammonoosuc River (shaded in red) in Milan and Berlin. The “Kilkenny Loop” – Bog Dam Road – off York Pond Road from Route 110, offers the best access to this area, with excellent opportunities for brook trout.

Upper Ammonoosuc

Visit the Berlin Fish Hatchery to see big fishThe state record brown trout tipped the scales at 16 pounds, 6 ounces

Pond

Brook

Horn Hill Rd.

Cedar Pond Dr.

Spring Rd.

Spruceville Rd.

Lang Rd.

Y

ork

Pond

Rd.

Y

ork

Po

nd Rd.

Bog D

am R

d.

York

Pon

d Rd

.

Bog Dam Rd.

Jericho Lake Rd.

C

opperville Rd.

CedarPond

Nay Pond

Jericho Lake

North B

ranch

North Branch

Upper A

mm

onoosu

c River

Hig

gins Brook

West Branch

Upp

er

A

mm

onoo

suc

River

Berlin FishHatchery

WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST

From rushing rivers to secluded streams, the unrivaled beauty of the Great North Woods makes it well worth the trip.

© R

ICH

ARD

GU

NIO

N /

DRE

AM

TIM

E.C

OM

1 2 30

MILES

MILAN

BERLIN

110

110

110A

Make a fun day even better by taking along the right gear. You’ll want to have:

l Fishing rods with spin-casting reels and 8-pound-test line

l Tackle box with hooks, bobbers, nonlead sinkers, artificial baits and a pair of pliers

l N.H. Freshwater Fishing Digestl Cooler with ice for storing your catchl Binoculars for wildlife watching

Keep your family comfortable while they’re fishing, and they’ll ask to come with you again. Have them dress for the weather, and be ready for whatever the day might bring. Keep the bug spray handy, as well as a simple first aid kit, sunscreen, sunglasses and hats. Pack plenty of snacks and drinks, too — but keep in mind that some fishing sites have many users. To help keep these places clean and safe, bring along a small trash bag and carry out everything you bring in.

What to Bring

Basic rigging setup

Need-to-know knotsClinch Knot Palomar Knot

1

2

3

4

1 2

3 4

To rig your fishing rod, start with fresh bait and a sharp hook. Add a nonlead sinker* to keep your bait near the fish. Top it off with a bobber, which keeps your bait off the bottom — and lets you know when you have a bite!

* N.H. State Law prohibits the use of certain sizes of lead tackle in all fresh waters in the state. Learn more at fishleadfree.org.

See stocking info and fishing reports at: www.fishnh.com/fishing/trout-stocking.html

REVISED 10/ 2016