Fishing at Hermit Lake, Belknap County, New Hampshire

• Overview

  Hermit Lake lies within the bounds of Belknap County, New Hampshire. The land about it is mixed forest. Surface area is around 220 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. You are looking at roughly 4.5 miles of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. Some 5.3 miles away sits Sanbornton, the nearest settlement. Manchester sits 40 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Hermit Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Survey and observation records for Belknap County include rainbow trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and brown trout. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Work Hermit Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 67°F and January at 18°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early April. Average temperatures cross freezing around early April in spring and again near mid December in autumn. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Hermit Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Double Dammed Pond, 3.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat Hermit Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.