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Umbagog Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 11, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

A wild border lake: Umbagog holds brook trout, salmon and pike between New Hampshire and Maine.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Water temp
~66 F est.
Air / High
48 / 63 F
Wind
WSW 6 mph

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

Satellite view
Friday
11
September 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.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Umbagog Lake offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. Today brings clear skies, wind WSW around 6 mph, falling pressure near 1010 hPa and a high of 63. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the new moon, the solunar majors run 11:32 PM-1:32 AM and 11:32 AM-1:32 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

WalleyeExcellent

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Smallmouth bassExcellent

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Northern pikeExcellent

Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Yellow perchGood

Drifting flats and weed edges with small jigs tipped with bait.

Tomorrow: Warmer at 73 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 12, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

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 →

Chasing walleye here? Check the size and bag limits with NHFG before you keep anything.

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.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp48 F
High / Low63 / 47 F
WindWSW 6-15 mph
Pressure1010.2 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset06:18 / 19:02
MoonNew Moon, 0%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 11 · Clear, 63/47 F, wind 14 mph, rain 0%

Fair or better. A 14 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

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

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: spring, early winter

The ambush predator of weedbeds and cabbage edges. Aggressive, big and always worth a wire leader. Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Yellow perch illustration

Yellow perch

Good most of the year

The great lakes and northern panfish staple. Schools tight to bottom; where you catch one there are fifty. Drifting flats and weed edges with small jigs tipped with bait.

When to come: the Umbagog 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
Walleye
Smallmouth bass
Northern pike
Yellow perch
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 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 Umbagog Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 10

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 74 F, wind to 16 mph.

Wed, Sep 9

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 63 F, wind to 8 mph.

Tue, Sep 8

5/5 Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 71 F, wind to 12 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

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 or Maine license depending on where you fish; the border runs through the lake. Check both agencies’ current rules before going.

Access

Umbagog Lake State Park camping and launch off Route 26 near Errol; remote water-access campsites on the shore.

About this water

A 7,850-acre shallow border lake in the Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge, Coos County, New Hampshire and Oxford County, Maine.

Fishing Umbagog Lake: the full guide

A shallow lake in wild country

Umbagog Lake straddles the New Hampshire and Maine border in Coos County, a shallow, marshy lake of about 7,850 acres surrounded by the Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge and undeveloped forest. It holds brook trout, landlocked salmon, lake trout, smallmouth bass, northern pike and pickerel, and it is best known for its wildness and its loons and eagles.

Brook trout and salmon

Brook trout and landlocked salmon hold the cold water, the inlets and the deeper areas, taken by trolling streamers and hardware in spring after ice-out and again in fall. The Androscoggin flows out of the lake and offers river fishing. The shallowness means the lake warms through summer, pushing coldwater fish to the springs and depths.

Pike, bass and the marshes

Northern pike are present and hold the marshy shallows and weed beds, taken on spoons and large plastics. Smallmouth work the rocky areas. The extensive marshes and floating bogs make this some of the best wildlife habitat in New England: expect loons, moose and eagles as part of the day.

Coos County logistics

Umbagog Lake State Park provides camping, a launch and remote water-access campsites, off Route 26 near Errol. The refuge surrounds much of the shoreline and keeps development minimal. Weather changes fast and the lake is large and shallow, which builds a nasty chop in wind: watch the forecast carefully.

Common questions

Which license do I need?

It depends where you fish: the state line runs through the lake. Check both New Hampshire and Maine rules.

Is it developed?

Barely: the national wildlife refuge surrounds much of the shoreline, keeping it wild.

Is the wind a problem?

It can be: the lake is large and shallow, which builds a short nasty chop quickly.

Is fishing good at Umbagog Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Androscoggin River4 miRapid River5 miMooselookmeguntic Lake17 miRangeley Lake22 miKennebago Lake25 miFirst Connecticut Lake25 mi
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