New Hampshire’s Lake Region is one of the most stunningly beautiful places in the united states. Our magnificent lakes and majestic mountains create a backdrop that is unrivaled in the northeast. For those of you who are visiting or thinking about relocating to the Lakes Region, here’s a breakdown of our 15 largest lakes in the region:
Lake Winnipesaukee
Area: 44,586 acres
Max Depth: 180’
Avg. Depth: 43’
Location: Gilford, Laconia, Alton, Meredith,
Center Harbor, Moultonborough,
Tuftonboro, Wolfeboro
Info: Lake Winnipesaukee is New Hampshire’s largest and most famous lake, as well as the sixth-largest natural lake entirely inside U.S. borders. With approx. 72 square miles of surface area, it has 258 islands, approximately 625 billion gallons of water, about 178 miles of shoreline, and a driving distance around the lake of about 63 miles.
Squam Lake
Area: 6,764.5 acres
Max Depth: 99’
Avg. Depth: 24’
Location: Holderness, Center Harbor, Sandwich,
Moultonborough
Info: Squam Lake is New Hampshire’s second-largest lake, with 67 islands to explore. The movie “On Golden
Pond” was filmed on this scenic lake.
Lake Winnisquam
Area: 4,214+ acres
Max Depth: 173’
Avg. Depth: 49’
Location: Sanbornton, Tilton, Laconia,
Meredith, Belmont
Info: Lake Winnisquam, the 4th largest lake entirely in New Hampshire, offers pristine waters and excellent fishing for rainbow trout, largemouth and smallmouth bass, lake trout, and yellow perch.
Newfound Lake
Area: 4,106 acres
Max Depth: 182’
Avg. Depth: 74’
Location: Bristol, Hebron, Alexandria,
Bridgewater
Info: One of the deepest lakes in NH, Newfound Lake is considered to be one of the cleanest in the USA. It is about 2.5 miles wide and 7 miles in length.
Lake Sunapee
Area: 4,090+ acres
Max. Depth: 105’
Avg. Depth: 37’
Located: Sunapee, New London, Newbury
Info: Great fishing spot for lake trout, salmon, and smallmouth bass. There may be restrictions on boat launch limits. Accessible via the Sunapee State Park, Sunapee Harbor, and other sites.
Ossipee Lake
Area: 3,091 acres
Max Depth: 73’
Avg. Depth: 27’
Location: Ossipee, Freedom
Info: Ossipee is moderately developed, and many of the waterfronts have sandy beaches. Popular for lake trout and/or salmon fishing, there are boat/speed restrictions.
Lake Wentworth
Area: 3,017.6 acres
Max Depth: 80’
Avg. Depth: 25’
Shoreline: 14 miles
Location: Wolfeboro
Great East Lake
Area: 1,825 acres
Max Depth: 102’
Avg. Depth: 35’
Shore length: 18.02 mi
Location: Wakefield
Info: There are many seasonal cottages and vacation homes on Great East Lake. The lake is shared by the towns of Wakefield, New Hampshire, and Acton, Maine, with 45% of its surface area in Acton and 55% in Wakefield.
Merrymeeting Lake
Area: 1,111 acres
Max Depth: 120’ feet
Avg. Depth: 29’
Location: New Durham
Info: Merrymeeting Lake feeds into Lake Winnipesaukee and is a popular destination for fishing lake trout and salmon.
Silver Lake
Area: 969 acres
Max Depth: 164’
Avg. Depth: 47’
Location: Madison
Info: Crystal clear water with beautiful White Mountain Views.
Lake Waukewan
Area: 912 acres
Max Depth: 70’
Avg. Depth: 22’
Location: Meredith, New Hampton
Info: Lake Waukewan is 2.1 miles long and has a width of .9 miles. It is Meredith’s water supply, featuring clean water and an average depth of 22 feet. Waukewan flows into Meredith Bay of Lake Winnipesaukee through the Inn at Mills Falls.
Webster Lake
Area: 612 acres
Max Depth: 39’
Avg. Depth: 18’
Location: Franklin
Info: Webster Lake is a popular quiet lake in Franklin dotted with second and primary homes. Accessible via a ramp at Legace Beach.
Crystal Lake
Area: 455 acres
Max Depth: 53’
Avg. Depth: 16’
Location: Gilmanton
Info: Crystal Lake flows via the Suncook River into the Merrimack River. This peaceful lake is located in the historic town of Gilmanton and includes many vacation properties.
Lake Opechee (Opechee Bay)
Area: 426.7 acres
Max Depth: 61’
Min. Depth: 23’
Location: Laconia
Info: Paugus Bay flows into Lake Opechee at the Lakeport Dam; Opechee flows into Lake Winnisquam in downtown Laconia.
Lake Kanasatka
Area: 371 Acres
Max Depth: 40’
Avg. Depth: 18’
Location: Moultonborough
Info: Kanasatka is a peaceful lake with scenic views of Red Hill.
Each one of the above lakes is definitely a slice of paradise. If you are looking for more information on each one of them or would like to see what is available for sale on any of these lakes, feel free to contact our Realtors® of Roche Realty Group, and we will be happy to provide you with valuable insight on our beautiful Lakes Region.
•••
This article was written by Frank Roche. Frank is president of Roche Realty Group with offices in Meredith and Laconia, NH, and can be reached at (603) 279-7046. Waterfront sales data was compiled by a NEREN map search on 06/3/2021 at 10:00 am EST and is subject to change. Please feel free to visit www.rocherealty.com to learn more about the Lakes Region and its real estate market.
(1) comment
Love your articles Frank...keep them coming....
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.