Take Me Fishing!™

Shoreline Fishing Guide

Manchester/Nashua Region

New Hampshire Fish and Game Department

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!

fishnh.com

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

STI

ME

.CO

M

Remember how much fun you used to have going fishing?

Don’t miss out on the good times this year! Get outdoors

and take advantage of the great fishing available at the many

scenic rivers and lakes of the Manchester/Nashua region.

Fishing is a great way to relax and reconnect with friends

and family. Children under 16 don’t need a license to fish, so

bring them along for a day of fresh air, activity and family fun.

Whether you fish for an hour or picnic and stay the day, you’ll

enjoy the fun and challenge of fishing — right around the

corner from home.

Look inside for just a few of the many places to try shoreline fishing near you:

l Massabesic Lake, Manchester

l Piscataquog River, Manchester

l Mine Falls Park, Nashua

l More fishing spots in Manchester and Nashua

Manchester/Nashua:Great Fishing Close to Home

Catch-and-ReleaseNever 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.

Fishing 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: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.

Observe the water – let the fish show you where to cast Fish New Hampshire and relax

HOOKSETT

MANCHESTER

NASHUA

AUBURN

DERRY

CANDIA

GOFFSTOWN

SALEMHUDSON

LONDONDERRY

LITCHFIELDMERRIMACK

BEDFORD

Massabesic Lake

HOOKSETTCANDIA

AUBURN

MANCHESTER

DERRYLONDONDERRY

LITCHFIELD

HUDSONSALEM

NASHUA

MERRIMACK

BEDFORD

GOFFSTOWN

Massachusetts

New Hampshire

Merrim

ack River

Piscataquog River

Nashua R

iver

© J

US

TIN

HO

FFM

AN

OU

TDO

OR

S /

DR

EA

MS

TIM

E.C

OM

Keep your hooks sharp

New Hampshire Fish Fish Identification Chart

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

Baits to Use*

Natural Baits

Artificial Baits

The best times to fish are the 3 days before and the 3 days after the full moon and new moon

Match Your Bait to Your CatchFish Illustrations © DUANE RAVER/USFWS

Larg

emou

th B

ass

Sm

allm

outh

Bas

s W

hite

Per

chYe

llow

Per

chC

arp

Blu

egill

Pum

pkin

seed

Sun

fish

Bla

ck C

rapp

ieB

ullh

ead

(hor

ned

pout

) C

hain

Pic

kere

l

Kids under 16 fish free in New Hampshire!

Jigs and curl tail grubs

Crank baits

Topwater baits (popper)

Dough ball and corn

Minnows

Artificial putty baits

In-line spinner baits

Spoons

Flies (wet, dry, streamers)

Hellgrammites

Crayfish

Worms and

crawlers

Grasshoppers and crickets

fishnh.com* 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 fishnh.com/fishing/trout-stocking.html The state record largemouth bass weighed 10.5 lbs.

1. Front Park — Take Exit 1 off Route 101. Head south on Bypass 28 through the traffic circle, and you’ll find a large park with plenty of shoreline access. The best fishing is at the south end of the park, near a drainage culvert.

2. Deer Neck Bridge — Further south on Bypass 28, try fishing the narrow channel that connects the two sides of Massabesic Lake — and be sure to save some time for exploring the nearby walking trails.

3. Clair’s Landing — In the village of Auburn on Route 121, you’ll find a spot that’s a great pick for a family outing, offering excellent fishing and additional fishing sites along the shore.

Massabesic Lake

The jewel of greater Manchester, Massabesic Lake boasts numerous areas for fishing access, offering the shorebank angler the best fishing around. Gravel fire roads follow the shoreline. Note that this lake is the main water supply for the area, so special regulations apply; no wading or swimming are allowed. Try one of these areas at Massabesic Lake for fishing and family activities:

Massabesic LakeFront Park

Deer NeckBridge

Clair’s Landing

Massabesic Lake

(West Pond)–CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC

(East Pond)

Little Massabesic Lake

1

2

3

All you need to start fishing is a local fishing hole, a simple rig and a good buddy.

© Y

OB

RO

10

/ D

RE

AM

STI

ME

.CO

M

28BYP

1

2

MA

NC

HE

STE

RA

UB

UR

N

3

121

101

121

1 20

MILES

The Merrimack offers endless opportunities for anglers in south-central New Hampshire. Try some of these great fishing spots in Manchester and Nashua:

1. Arms Park (Riverfront Park), Manchester — Easy access to some great smallmouth bass fishing.

2. Below the Amoskeag Bridge, Manchester — Additional shorebank access to the Merrimack.

3. Moore’s Falls Conservation Area, Litchfield — A good fishing spot near the city with that “out of the way” feel. Find the river access about 2.5 miles south of the airport on Route 3A. Look for a brown kiosk with space for parking.

4. Taylor Falls Bridge, Nashua — Access the Merrimack River here and near the bridges on Route 111 to fish for carp, smallmouth and largemouth bass.

5. Greeley Park, Nashua — Plenty of fine spots to fish the Merrimack River, plus a nearby boat launch.

Here anglers can catch perch, chain pickerel, sunfish, bass and more. Try Stevens Pond (6) off Bridge Street in Manchester, or Little Massabesic (7) in Auburn. Tower Hill Pond (8) in Candia is another local favorite; this pond is part of Manchester Water Works and, like Massabesic Lake, is a protected water supply.

Fish the Merrimack River!

“If the angler did not lose a fish now and then, he would surely not appreciate the capture of one” (The Angler’s Secret, 1904)

HOOKSETTCANDIA

MANCHESTER

BEDFORD

GOFFSTOWN

AUBURN

LONDONDERRYDERRY

NASHUA

LITCHFIELDMERRIMACK

HUDSONSALEM

MassabesicLake

Little Massabesic Lake

Tower Hill Pond

1

6

7

8

3

4

© B

RU

CE

MA

CQ

UE

EN

/ D

RE

AM

STI

ME

.CO

M

Local ponds in the Manchester Area

Merrim

ack R.

Piscataquog R.

Mer

ri

mack

R.

Nashua R

.

Manchester-BostonRegional Airport

1

6

2

3

4

5

7

8

111

128

102

3A

3A

3A

28

28

28

101

101A

128

12128

114

28

101

28A

102

27

3

3

3

293

93

93

293

1 2 3 4 50

MILES

BYP

The Piscataquog has become popular with anglers in the Manchester area. Fishing for trout is at its best in spring and early summer, while the water is still cool.

1. Kelley Street Bridge — The upper part of the river below the bridge is a good place to start out trout fishing. As you work your way downstream to the Merrimack, the river changes to a warmwater fishery, where smallmouth and largemouth bass and other fish are plentiful.

2. Piscataquog River Park — The park’s growing trail system on both sides of the river provides doz-ens of places to cast your line, right in the middle of

Piscataquog River

good fishing for both cold and warmwater fish. The park entrance on the east side of the river, off Douglas Street (2a), has a boat launch. Or, park on the west side, off Precourt St. (2b) for access to riverside walking trails.

The record for yellow perch in N.H. is 2 lbs. 6 oz.Federal Sport Fish Restoration funds help manage New Hampshire’s fisheries

Piscataquog R.

Mer

rim

ack

R.

Kelley S

t.Amory St.

Putnam St.

Nazaire Biron bridge

Douglas St.

Main St.

Douglas St.

So. M

ain S

t.

Granite St.

Com

mer

cial

St.

Cana

l St.

Mer

rim

ack

R.

Pinard St.

PISCATAQUOG RIVER PARK

Koehler St.

Precourt St.

Varney St.

Mast Rd.

Seco

nd S

t.

Rockland Ave.

Sylvester St.

© H

WA

HL3

/ D

RE

AM

STI

ME

.CO

M

1

2a

3A

114A

293

2

¼ 10

MILES

½ ¾

GO

FF

STO

WN

MA

NC

HE

STE

R

BE

DF

OR

D

2b

Just minutes from downtown Nashua, Mine Falls Park’s network of trails follows the Nashua River, offering rewarding fishing opportunities along the way.

1. Nashua River — From below Mine Falls Dam to downtown, you’ll find several miles of trails and excellent fishing access to the river. This area gives anglers the ideal opportunity to cast their lines for abundant smallmouth bass, bluegills, largemouth bass and carp. Explore the possibilities of the beautiful Nashua River!

Mine Falls Park

When fishing with artificial lures, experiment with speed of retrievesOne of New Hampshire’s nicknames is “Mother of Rivers”

Mill PondMine Falls Dam

Nashua R.

Nas

hua

R.

CanalPower

Nashua

Broad St.

Sanborn Dr.

Cheye

nne D

r.

Collis

eum

Ave

.

Rive

rside

St.

Simon St.

Whipple St.

Pine St.

Nashu

a R.

Mill PondAccess

MINE FALLS PARK

1

2

2. Mill Pond — Enjoy easy shoreline access and great fishing for largemouth bass, bluegills and yellow perch.

Pine St.

Upstone Dr.

Broad St.

Sioux Ave.

Marie Ave.

W. Hollis

W. Hollis

W. Hollis

Kingsley St.

Ledge St.

NashuaMall

NashuaH.S.

LINCOLN PARK

© S

TEV

EN

OE

HLE

NS

CH

LAG

ER

/ D

RE

AM

STI

ME

.CO

M

111

101A

1

2

3

111

¼ 10

MILES

½ ¾

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, non-lead sinkers, artificial baits and a pair of pliers

l N.H. Freshwater Fishing Digestl Cooler with ice for storing your catch

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 knots

Clinch Knot Palomar Knot

1

2

3

4

1 2

3 4

More Americans fish than play golf and tennis combined

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!

The largest brook trout recorded in New Hampshire was 9 pounds

* 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.

REVISED 10/ 2016