Bearcamp River Fishing Guides
A sixty-eight square mile White Mountain foothill stream running east from the Sandwich Range to Ossipee Lake, with trout in the cold upper water and smallmouth below.
Guides on the Bearcamp River
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About the Bearcamp River
The Bearcamp River drains about sixty-eight square miles of the southern White Mountains, gathering water off the Sandwich Range and running east through Tamworth toward Ossipee Lake. The gauge at South Tamworth reads discharge and stage. This is a freestone stream in the strict sense, fed by surface runoff and mountain tributaries rather than by springs, and that single fact governs everything about how it fishes: it rises hard and fast after rain, drops quickly, and runs thin and warm in a dry August.
The river alternates between fast pocket water over ledge and cobble in its upper reaches and longer, slower pools and gravel runs as it flattens out toward the lake. The White Mountain backdrop is not merely scenic; the elevation of the headwaters is what keeps the upper river cold enough to hold trout through the early summer. Below Tamworth the gradient eases, the water warms, and the character shifts toward a mixed warmwater fishery. Wading is straightforward at normal flows and genuinely hazardous after rain, because this river comes up faster than its size suggests.
Brook trout are native and hold in the colder upper water and in the tributaries. Brown and rainbow trout are stocked and provide most of the spring fishing. Lower down, smallmouth bass are the dominant fish through the summer and give good sport on light tackle, with chain pickerel, fallfish and white sucker alongside them. The connection to Ossipee Lake means larger fish move up into the river at times. Checking the gauge before leaving home is worth the minute, because this river can be unfishable and back to perfect inside two days.
Access is straightforward from Route 25 and from town roads, with a good deal of walkable water.
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Access
South Tamworth - the gauge location and a practical starting point for the middle river.
Tamworth - the village upstream, with services and access to the colder trout water.
Route 25 - parallels much of the river and reaches numerous crossings and pull-offs.
Ossipee Lake - the large lake the river enters, with ramps and a strong warmwater fishery.
West Ossipee - the nearest village downstream, with fuel and food.
White Lake State Park - camping and public water within a few minutes' drive.
Swift River and Chocorua River - nearby tributaries and alternatives when the main river is high.
Seasons
Spring: high snowmelt water gives way to the best trout fishing of the year as flows settle and stocked fish spread out.
Summer: the upper river holds trout while the lower water warms and smallmouth bass take over as the practical target.
Fall: brook trout colour up for spawning, and cooling water brings trout back into the middle reaches.
Winter: flows are cold and high, the river is largely left alone, and nearby Ossipee Lake draws the ice fishing instead.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Bearcamp River?
As of Oct 18, 6:00 pm, the USGS gauge BEARCAMP RIVER AT SOUTH TAMWORTH, NH reads 45 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Bearcamp River?
Anglers target Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Chain Pickerel, Fallfish, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, White Sucker on the Bearcamp River in New Hampshire.
Where can you access the Bearcamp River?
South Tamworth - the gauge location and a practical starting point for the middle river. Tamworth - the village upstream, with services and access to the colder trout water. Route 25 - parallels much of the river and reaches numerous crossings and pull-offs. Ossipee Lake - the large lake the river enters, with ramps and a strong warmwater fishery. West Ossipee - the nearest village downstream, with fuel and food. White Lake State Park - camping and public water within a few minutes' drive. Swift River and Chocorua River - nearby tributaries and alternatives when the main river is high.
When is the best time to fish the Bearcamp River?
Spring: high snowmelt water gives way to the best trout fishing of the year as flows settle and stocked fish spread out. Summer: the upper river holds trout while the lower water warms and smallmouth bass take over as the practical target. Fall: brook trout colour up for spawning, and cooling water brings trout back into the middle reaches. Winter: flows are cold and high, the river is largely left alone, and nearby Ossipee Lake draws the ice fishing instead.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Bearcamp River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the New Hampshire agency site: https://www.eregulations.com/newhampshire/fishing/freshwater