Lamprey River Fishing Guides
A federally designated Wild and Scenic river running to the head of tide at Great Bay, mixing smallmouth water with a spring run of sea-run fish below the Newmarket dam.
Guides on the Lamprey River
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About the Lamprey River
The Lamprey is the main freshwater artery of New Hampshire’s seacoast, and it is one of the few rivers in the state carrying a federal Wild and Scenic designation. It runs east through Epping and Lee to Newmarket, where it drops over a dam and meets the head of tide at Great Bay. That tidal connection is what separates it from the state’s inland rivers: the Lamprey is a coastal river with a migratory component, and the fish that use it include American eel, American shad and the river herring whose runs the dam and its fishway govern each spring.
Above the head of tide the river is a classic southern New Hampshire smallmouth fishery. It is a wide, ledgy, slow-gradient river with long flat pools broken by short drops over bedrock, and the smallmouth are both numerous and better than average in size. Largemouth bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch and fallfish share the water, and the cooler tributaries hold brook and brown trout. The character changes a good deal along its length, with the stretch between Epping and Lee the most reliably productive for bass and the best suited to a canoe or kayak.
The gauge near Newmarket reports discharge and stage on a drainage of roughly one hundred and eighty-five square miles, and the river is responsive to rain. In spring it runs high and fast and is best fished from a boat; by midsummer it drops into a low, clear, weedy condition that rewards early mornings and quiet approaches. The Wild and Scenic designation has kept much of the corridor undeveloped and there is a long-running local stewardship effort along the river, so access points are reasonably well marked and the banks are in better condition than the region’s population density would suggest.
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Access
Newmarket - the head of tide, the dam and fishway, and the downstream limit of the freshwater fishery.
Lee Hook Road - a long-used canoe and kayak launch giving access to the best smallmouth water.
Epping - the upstream town and a practical starting point for floats down the middle river.
Wadleigh Falls - a well-known bedrock drop and a reliable landmark and access point.
Packers Falls - a scenic drop on the lower river above the head of tide, reachable on foot.
Great Bay - the estuary the river feeds, where migratory fish stage before moving up.
Durham - the nearest larger town for supplies, lodging and guide contacts on the seacoast.
Seasons
Spring: high water and the migratory runs below the Newmarket dam, with the best boat fishing of the year on the reaches above.
Summer: low, clear and weedy, with smallmouth fishing at its best very early and very late in the day.
Fall: cooling water puts smallmouth hard on the feed and the Wild and Scenic corridor is at its most pleasant to paddle.
Winter: cold and largely iced above the dam, with little open-water fishing until the spring rise.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Lamprey River?
As of Nov 2, 6:15 am, the USGS gauge LAMPREY RIVER NEAR NEWMARKET, NH reads 92 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Lamprey River?
Anglers target American Eel, American Shad, Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Chain Pickerel, Fallfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Perch, Yellow Perch on the Lamprey River in New Hampshire.
Where can you access the Lamprey River?
Newmarket - the head of tide, the dam and fishway, and the downstream limit of the freshwater fishery. Lee Hook Road - a long-used canoe and kayak launch giving access to the best smallmouth water. Epping - the upstream town and a practical starting point for floats down the middle river. Wadleigh Falls - a well-known bedrock drop and a reliable landmark and access point. Packers Falls - a scenic drop on the lower river above the head of tide, reachable on foot. Great Bay - the estuary the river feeds, where migratory fish stage before moving up. Durham - the nearest larger town for supplies,...
When is the best time to fish the Lamprey River?
Spring: high water and the migratory runs below the Newmarket dam, with the best boat fishing of the year on the reaches above. Summer: low, clear and weedy, with smallmouth fishing at its best very early and very late in the day. Fall: cooling water puts smallmouth hard on the feed and the Wild and Scenic corridor is at its most pleasant to paddle. Winter: cold and largely iced above the dam, with little open-water fishing until the spring rise.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Lamprey River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the New Hampshire agency site: https://www.wildlife.nh.gov/fishing-new-hampshire/fishing-rules