Contoocook River Reservoir Fishing near Peterborough, New Hampshire

• Overview

  Look for Contoocook River Reservoir in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire. Country round the bank runs to lake country bush. This is a pocket water of some 20 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Start from Peterborough, 1.1 miles down the road. For a city, Manchester is 27 miles off. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Contoocook River Reservoir

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Reported across Hillsborough County: rainbow trout, largemouth bass, brown trout, smallmouth bass and bluegill. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. The shape of Contoocook River Reservoir decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 68°F for July and 20°F for January. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. After early April the shallows warm and the fish move up. In an average year the thaw lands around early April and the freeze near mid December. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Contoocook River Reservoir runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. A parking area is marked roughly half a mile out. Fremont Conservation Land runs up to the bank here, which usually means extra restrictions. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Cunningham Pond is 2.5 miles distant. Check the current arrangement for Contoocook River Reservoir.