Fly Fishing in New Hampshire

A regional note specific to this state: the trout fishing here is dominated by tailwater fisheries below irrigation reservoirs, and the most productive water is consistently the cold discharge from those reservoirs, which is why the state agency stocks heavily and manages for high catch rates. New Hampshire trout fishing is a small but technically challenging fishery built on the cold-water streams of the White Mountains and a few tailwaters in the southeastern part of the state. The state has about 1,500 miles of fishable trout water, including the famous Pemigewasset River, the Ammonoosuc River, the Saco River, and dozens more. The most famous trout river is the Pemigewasset, a freestone that runs through the White Mountains and produces wild browns and rainbows averaging 12 to 16 inches. The state's trout program is administered through the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, and the agency stocks the put-and-take rivers and lakes in the spring and fall while managing the wild trout water through a combination of slot limits and Trophy Trout designations. A regular New Hampshire fishing license is required, and the cost is $32 for residents and $63 for non-residents, and the daily limit is 5 trout combined in most waters with a 2-trout limit on the Trophy Trout water. The unique regional quirk is that New Hampshire has a long fishing season, with most rivers and streams open from the first Saturday in April through the end of October, and a few trophy waters open year-round.