Province Lake in Carroll County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Province Lake in the Carroll County part of New Hampshire. It stands 479 feet above sea level. This is sizeable water at about 968 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. Some 5.8 miles of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. Few waters listed in Carroll County are bigger. Supplies mean a trip to Parsonsfield, 4.2 miles off. It is 53 miles to Manchester, the nearest city. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Province Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Fish documented in Carroll County include rainbow trout, brown trout, smallmouth bass, rainbow smelt and Atlantic salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Province Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 18°F in January to roughly 68°F in July. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. The lid usually goes in early April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. In an average year the thaw lands around early April and the freeze near mid December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. On Province Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Prentice Woods Preserve covers ground next to the water; its rules will apply on that side. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Champion Pond is 3.4 miles distant. Signs at Province Lake carry more weight than any list.