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Newfound Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

A 4,450-acre New Hampshire lake trout and salmon lake in the Bristol area, with a Fish and Game launch beside Wellington State Park and a fall closure at the river mouths.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Water temp
~55 F est.
Air / High
51 / 54 F
Wind
NNW 7 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Newfound Lake is in transition: bait on the move and predators following. Today brings clear skies, wind NNW around 7 mph, rising pressure near 1028 hPa and a high of 54. Water sits around 55 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 9:20 AM-11:20 AM and 9:50 PM-11:50 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutExcellent

This band overlaps Vermont's 54-66Β°F stream preference: fish feed across riffles, runs and pocket water, and in lakes WDFW says spring and fall bring them near the surface.

Brown troutExcellent

Close to Vermont's 53-66Β°F optimum, browns feed more freely; in fall, pre-spawn fish move toward tributaries and gravel, so fish streamers and keep off the redds.

Landlocked salmonGood

Spring after ice-out and the fall cool-down are the surface seasons, with fish near shore and at stream mouths feeding on smelt: troll or cast streamers and smelt imitations.

Lake troutGood

Spring and fall bring lakers into 10 to 30 feet of water (Michigan DNR), within reach of casters and shallow trollers; fall is also spawning time over rocky shoals.

Chinook salmonSlow

Runs enter the rivers: drift roe or sand shrimp through travel lanes, plunk a wrapped plug, or float eggs in eddies and tidewater.

Tomorrow: Similar at 58 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made β†’

Before you go

New Hampshire requires a fishing licence from age 16, from $45.00 for residents. What a New Hampshire licence costs and where to buy it β†’

Chasing landlocked salmon here? Check the size and bag limits with NHFG before you keep anything. The season dates for New Hampshire, read off the agency, are on the New Hampshire seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~55 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp51 F
High / Low54 / 34 F
WindNNW 7-10 mph
Pressure1027.7 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset07:11 / 17:50
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~55 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Which day to fish Newfound Lake this week

The best day on Newfound Lake this week looks like Sunday Oct 25, at 4 out of 5, against 2 today.

Best day this week: Sunday, Oct 25 β€” good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 β€” Tough

Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Solunar majors
9:20 AM-11:20 AM and 9:50 PM-11:50 PM
Minor period
3:42 AM-4:42 AM
Sun
07:11 to 17:50
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Clear, 9 mph
Rain chance
0%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

The species that matter on Newfound Lake: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Landlocked salmon illustration

Landlocked salmon

Spring and fall near the surface, deep in summer, and under the ice in winter

Landlocked salmon are Atlantic salmon that complete their whole life in fresh water, feeding mainly on rainbow smelt in cold lakes of Maine and the Northeast. Spring after ice-out and the fall cool-down are the surface seasons, with fish near shore and at stream mouths feeding on smelt: troll or cast streamers and smelt imitations.

Lake trout illustration

Lake trout

Spring and fall in shallow water, deep in summer, and through the ice in winter

Lake trout are slow-growing chars of large, deep, cold lakes, native from Alaska and northern Canada to New England and the Great Lakes, and introduced in many western lakes. Spring and fall bring lakers into 10 to 30 feet of water (Michigan DNR), within reach of casters and shallow trollers; fall is also spawning time over rocky shoals.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Spring and fall in most lakes; rivers fish year-round while the water stays cool

A cold-water trout native to Pacific drainages from Alaska to Baja California, now stocked in most states and fished in rivers, tailwaters and lakes. This band overlaps Vermont's 54-66Β°F stream preference: fish feed across riffles, runs and pocket water, and in lakes WDFW says spring and fall bring them near the surface.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Spring along Great Lakes shorelines; low light and overcast days in rivers; fall spawning runs

A European trout first stocked in the US in 1883 and now fished in rivers and lakes nationwide; it tolerates warmer water than other trout, and mature stream fish feed mostly at night. Close to Vermont's 53-66Β°F optimum, browns feed more freely; in fall, pre-spawn fish move toward tributaries and gravel, so fish streamers and keep off the redds.

Chinook salmon illustration

Chinook salmon

Seasons follow the runs: spring, summer and fall runs on the West Coast, and late summer into fall in Great Lakes rivers

The largest Pacific salmon, caught by trolling and mooching at sea and by drifting and plunking in rivers as adults return to spawn; also stocked in the Great Lakes. Runs enter the rivers: drift roe or sand shrimp through travel lanes, plunk a wrapped plug, or float eggs in eddies and tidewater.

When to come: the Newfound Lake calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Landlocked salmon
Lake trout
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
Chinook salmon
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 55 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~55 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Newfound Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Landlocked salmon led the card at excellent. High of 62 F, wind to 14 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Landlocked salmon led the card at excellent. High of 60 F, wind to 6 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 64 F, wind to 10 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

New Hampshire requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

New Hampshire fishing license. NHFG special rules for Newfound Lake (digest updated January 12, 2026, read 2026-10-05): lake trout 15 in. minimum; brook, rainbow and brown trout 15 in. minimum; trolling limited to one lure, fly, tandem fly or bait per rod, single-point hook with bait; no fishing within 500 ft of the Cockermouth and Fowler river mouths Oct. 16-Dec. 31. Landlocked salmon season April 1-Sept. 30 (statewide). Check NHFG for daily limits and boating speed restrictions.

Access

N.H. Fish and Game boat launch adjoining Wellington State Park: free, open 24 hours, year-round. Designated fishing areas on the park's peninsula nature trail (park admission).

About this water

A 4,450-acre lake in Alexandria, Bridgewater, Bristol and Hebron, Grafton County, New Hampshire, designated by Fish and Game as a Lake Trout and/or Salmon lake.

Fishing Newfound Lake: the full guide

A designated lake trout and salmon lake

New Hampshire Fish and Game lists Newfound Lake at 4,450 acres across Alexandria, Bridgewater, Bristol and Hebron and designates it a Lake Trout and/or Salmon lake, which brings its own length and gear rules. The State Park Service describes it as one of the deepest and clearest lakes in the state.

Special rules on Newfound

Fish and Game sets a 15-inch minimum for lake trout and for brook, rainbow and brown trout and their hybrids on Newfound. When trolling, each rod may carry only one artificial lure, one fly, one tandem fly or one bait, and a baited hook must have a single point. The water within 500 feet of the Cockermouth River and Fowler River mouths is closed to all fishing from October 16 through December 31. Statewide, landlocked salmon may be kept only from April 1 to September 30.

Wellington State Park

Wellington State Park on the lake has the largest freshwater swimming beach in the New Hampshire state park system, a peninsula nature trail with designated fishing areas and views of Cliff and Belle islands. A boat launch operated by N.H. Fish and Game adjoins the park and gives free access to the lake year-round, 24 hours a day.

Common questions

When can I keep a salmon?

New Hampshire's landlocked salmon season runs April 1 through September 30; taking salmon from October 1 to March 31 is prohibited.

Is any part of the lake closed in the fall?

Yes. Fish and Game closes the water within 500 feet of the Cockermouth River and Fowler River to all fishing from October 16 through December 31.

Where do I launch?

At the N.H. Fish and Game boat launch next to Wellington State Park, which is free and open around the clock all year.

Is fishing good at Newfound Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Pemigewasset River9 miSquam Lake14 miLake Winnisquam16 miLake Winnipesaukee22 miLake Sunapee23 miConnecticut River27 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 43.6500, -71.7800 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 5, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 5, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.