Edward MacDowell Reservoir Fishing near Peterborough, New Hampshire

• Overview

  Edward MacDowell Reservoir lies within the bounds of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire. It sits in lake country bush country. A shoreline of some 2.5 miles keeps the choices simple. On our Hillsborough County list it sits near the top for size. Some 2.9 miles away sits Peterborough, the nearest settlement. Manchester sits 28 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Edward MacDowell Reservoir

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Survey and observation records for Hillsborough County include rainbow trout, largemouth bass, brown trout and smallmouth bass. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Edward MacDowell Reservoir the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 68°F on average, January about 20°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early April. Average temperatures cross freezing around early April in spring and again near mid December in autumn. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at Edward MacDowell Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Mapping shows a ramp about half a mile from the shore. A car park sits roughly half a mile away. A picnic area is mapped about half a mile away. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Mud Pond, 1.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat access at Edward MacDowell Reservoir as something to verify.