Winnicut River Fishing Guides
A short seacoast river entering Great Bay at Greenland, opened up by a dam removal and now running to the tide without interruption.
Map of the Winnicut River
14 numbered points: 1 access point, 3 bridges, 9 parks and conservation areas, 1 USGS gauge. Tap a marker for details. Reviewed Sep 26, 2026.
- Access / boat ramp (1)
- Bridge crossing (3)
- Park / conservation area (9)
- USGS gauge (1)
Print it. Bag it. Bring it.Phones die, screens crack, and most of this water has no signal. Print this map, fold it into a zip-top bag or dry bag with your license, and you have a backup your electronics can’t give you. Every marker is numbered so you can say exactly where you are.
Open the printable mapAll 14 points on this map
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chen Property Town of North Hampton conservation land | Park / conservation area | 42.97759, -70.85787 | |
| 2 | Dalton Easement Town of North Hampton conservation easement | Park / conservation area | 42.97505, -70.85741 | |
| 3 | Robie Conservation Land North Hampton Conservation Commission | Park / conservation area | 42.98053, -70.86844 | |
| 4 | Corbett Farm North Hampton Conservation Commission | Park / conservation area | 42.98558, -70.87465 | |
| 5 | Winnicutt Road bridge Town road, NHDOT structure | Bridge crossing | 43.00932, -70.87103 | OSM spells the road Winnicutt with two t values, which is the road name rather than a typo. |
| 6 | The Dustin-Booker Farm Town of North Hampton | Park / conservation area | 43.00439, -70.85321 | |
| 7 | USGS gauge 01073785 - Winnicut River at Greenland US Geological Survey streamgauge | USGS gauge | 43.03583, -70.84750 | Live stage and discharge for the river. Coordinate taken from the site roster. |
| 8 | Russell A. Robinson Winnicut Memorial Park Greenland town park | Park / conservation area | 43.03582, -70.84671 | On the river at the former dam and fishway site, beside the state cartop access. |
| 9 | Great Bay Winnicut River Cartop Facility NH Fish and Game and Town of Greenland, cartop | Access / boat ramp | 43.03679, -70.84763 | The only access site the state access inventory lists on this river. Gravel parking, no trailer ramp. Built at the site of the Winnicut River dam, which was removed. |
| 10 | Portsmouth Avenue bridge NH 33 | Bridge crossing | 43.03610, -70.84799 | The main crossing, beside the cartop access and the memorial park. |
| 11 | Caswell Park Greenland town park | Park / conservation area | 43.04029, -70.84880 | |
| 12 | Portland Subdivision rail bridge CSX Portsmouth Branch | Bridge crossing | 43.04205, -70.84248 | The only rail crossing on the river. |
| 13 | Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge Refuge land on the lower river | Park / conservation area | 43.04576, -70.84949 | OSM records the operator as NH Fish and Game; the refuge itself is federal. |
| 14 | Brackett Brook Wildlife Management Area NH Fish and Game | Park / conservation area | 43.05777, -70.87296 |
Guides on the Winnicut River
Claimed profiles take booking requests. Unclaimed profiles are built from public records so the river is never empty; the guide can claim or remove one any time.
No guides listed yet
Guide or outfit this water? Create your profile. Listing is free, the commission is 10% or 7% with a premium profile, and premium profiles list first on this water.
About the Winnicut River
The Winnicut River is a small river by any standard, rising in the low country of Rockingham County and running a short distance northeast to enter Great Bay at Greenland, a few miles inland from Portsmouth. What it lacks in length it makes up for in position: Great Bay is one of the more significant estuaries on the New England coast, and the Winnicut is one of the rivers feeding it, which puts a genuine tidal fishery within a very short drive of the New Hampshire seacoast towns.
The gauge at Greenland reports discharge and stage. The river’s defining recent event was the removal of the old dam near the mouth, which reopened the channel between the tidal water and the reaches above and restored passage for migratory fish into a system that had been cut off for a long time. River herring and other diadromous species use the river again, and their movement is the engine that drives much of what happens here, since the predators follow the bait. Flows are small and respond quickly to rain, and the lower river is tidal, so the stage record mixes freshwater runoff with the twice-daily tide.
Striped bass are the main draw and work up into the river on the tide through the warmer months, following bait and holding around the structure near the mouth and in the deeper bends. They are mostly school fish rather than large ones, but they are accessible from shore, which matters. American eel are abundant throughout. Above the tidal reach the river holds trout in the cooler sections, along with largemouth, pickerel and yellow perch in the slower water. Great Bay itself, immediately downstream, is the larger prize and a proper destination for striped bass and flounder in season.
This water needs a real photo
The photo at the top of this page is not Winnicut River.
It is a regional stand-in, honestly captioned but generic — we will not put a name to a river we cannot prove. Send us a photograph you took here and it replaces the stand-in, with your credit on it.
Add a photo of this water
Landscape, not fish — the water itself. Reviewed by hand before it appears. The first one published here earns the Pioneer badge.
Fished this water? Add a photo
Reviewed by hand before it appears. Pick the water, not the spot — we never publish exact locations.
Access
Greenland - the town at the gauge, with the main river access and the reference point for conditions.
Great Bay - the estuary the river enters, the region's principal striped bass and flounder fishery.
Portsmouth - a short drive northeast, with full services, tackle shops, lodging and restaurants.
Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve - offering trails, viewing and public shoreline access.
Exeter River - the larger river entering the same estuary system south, a good alternative.
Stratham - adjacent to the river, with further road access to the upper reaches.
Hampton Harbour - south on the open coast, with launches and full saltwater fishing.
Seasons
Spring: the river wakes up as herring return and the first striped bass push into the bay behind them.
Summer: the peak, with schoolie bass working up the river on the tide and shore access at its most productive.
Fall: excellent as bait floods out of the estuary and the bass feed hard before moving offshore.
Winter: quiet and cold, with the tidal reach largely empty and the upper river the only real option.
From the water
No logged trips yet. Be the first to put this water on your map.
Log this water
Fished it or cleaned it? Log in or create a free account to log a trip with photos and earn the waterway badge.
Questions
What is the current flow on the Winnicut River?
As of Oct 18, 4:30 pm, the USGS gauge WINNICUT RIVER AT GREENLAND, NR PORTSMOUTH, NH reads 42 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Winnicut River?
Anglers target American Eel, American Shad, Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Chain Pickerel, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Striped Bass, White Perch, Winter Flounder, Yellow Perch on the Winnicut River in New Hampshire.
Where can you access the Winnicut River?
Greenland - the town at the gauge, with the main river access and the reference point for conditions. Great Bay - the estuary the river enters, the region's principal striped bass and flounder fishery. Portsmouth - a short drive northeast, with full services, tackle shops, lodging and restaurants. Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve - offering trails, viewing and public shoreline access. Exeter River - the larger river entering the same estuary system south, a good alternative. Stratham - adjacent to the river, with further road access to the upper reaches. Hampton Harbour - south on...
When is the best time to fish the Winnicut River?
Spring: the river wakes up as herring return and the first striped bass push into the bay behind them. Summer: the peak, with schoolie bass working up the river on the tide and shore access at its most productive. Fall: excellent as bait floods out of the estuary and the bass feed hard before moving offshore. Winter: quiet and cold, with the tidal reach largely empty and the upper river the only real option.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Winnicut 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-and-regulations