Piscataquog River Fishing Guides
A short, accessible New Hampshire release below Everett Dam, running trout water at the top and smallmouth water by the time it reaches Manchester.
Guides on the Piscataquog River
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About the Piscataquog River
The Piscataquog below Everett Dam is a modest river doing a lot of work. Everett is an Army Corps flood-control structure impounding Everett Lake at Clough State Park, and the release below it gives the river a steadier flow than its drainage area of sixty-odd square miles would otherwise support. That makes the reach immediately below the dam the most dependable trout water on the system, and it sits within half an hour of Manchester, which is most of why it matters.
The state stocks brook, brown and rainbow trout through the upper reach, and the cooler water below the dam holds them into the summer better than the open lower river does. Fishing is close-quarters – pocket water, ledge drops and short runs between wooded banks – and a short rod is more use than a long one. As the river runs east through Goffstown it warms and widens, and smallmouth bass, largemouth, chain pickerel and yellow perch progressively take over.
This is a river to fish in sections rather than as a whole. The trout angler works the first few miles below the dam. The bass angler starts well downstream and fishes the slower impounded stretches and the deeper corners. Treating it as one river and fishing the middle usually produces neither. Fallfish are abundant throughout and give a good account of themselves on light tackle.
Access is genuinely easy, which is the river’s other strength. Clough State Park anchors the dam, Route 114 and the local roads cross the river repeatedly, and the Piscataquog River Trail follows part of the lower corridor into Manchester. Flows are flood-control driven and can rise quickly after New England rain, so check the gauge rather than assuming, and note that Clough State Park has its own season and hours.
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Access
Below Everett Dam - the gauge reach and the top of the release water.
Clough State Park, Weare - developed access, parking and the reservoir above the dam.
Route 114 crossings - roadside access on the middle river.
Goffstown village - bank access on the middle reach.
Piscataquog River Trail - walk-in access along the lower corridor.
Glen Lake area - access on the lower impounded water.
Manchester - the bottom of the river at the Merrimack confluence.
Seasons
Spring: stocking begins, flows run high and the trout fishing is at its best.
Summer: the reach below the dam holds trout while the lower river turns to bass water.
Fall: cooling water brings the trout back on and the smallmouth feed hard.
Winter: cold and largely iced, with some pickerel and perch fishing on the slower water.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Piscataquog River?
As of Sep 17, 4:30 am, the USGS gauge PISCATAQUOG RIVER BL EVERETT DAM, NR E WEARE, NH reads 5 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Piscataquog River?
Anglers target Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Chain Pickerel, Fallfish, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch on the Piscataquog River in New Hampshire.
Where can you access the Piscataquog River?
Below Everett Dam - the gauge reach and the top of the release water. Clough State Park, Weare - developed access, parking and the reservoir above the dam. Route 114 crossings - roadside access on the middle river. Goffstown village - bank access on the middle reach. Piscataquog River Trail - walk-in access along the lower corridor. Glen Lake area - access on the lower impounded water. Manchester - the bottom of the river at the Merrimack confluence.
When is the best time to fish the Piscataquog River?
Spring: stocking begins, flows run high and the trout fishing is at its best. Summer: the reach below the dam holds trout while the lower river turns to bass water. Fall: cooling water brings the trout back on and the smallmouth feed hard. Winter: cold and largely iced, with some pickerel and perch fishing on the slower water.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Piscataquog River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the New Hampshire agency site: https://www.eregulations.com/newhampshire/fishing/freshwater