New Hampshire Fishing Regulations for Fly Anglers

Everyone 16 and older needs a valid New Hampshire fishing license to fish public waters in the state. Licenses are issued by New Hampshire Fish & Game (NH F&G) — buy online, at any NH F&G license agent, at most sporting goods retailers, or at fly shops in destination areas like Pittsburg, North Conway, and Errol.

New Hampshire offers resident and non-resident licenses, with non-resident pricing notably higher. Visitors have a few options:

• Annual non-resident license — best value if you plan more than a couple of trips a year.
• Short-term non-resident permits — 1-day, 3-day, and 7-day options well-suited to a destination weekend on the Saco, the Androscoggin, or the Pittsburg Trophy Stretch.
• Senior pricing — discounted licenses for resident anglers; free fishing for residents 68+ in some categories.

The default New Hampshire trout season runs from January 1 through October 15 on most waters — one of the most generous trout-season windows in the Northeast. NH F&G allows winter fishing on the majority of the state's trout waters; whether the river is fishable depends on weather, not on a closed season.

Three important exceptions apply:

• Designated trout ponds — many of NH's trout-managed ponds have a stricter season, often opening on the fourth Saturday of April and closing October 15. Read the regulation for the specific water before fishing.
• Wild and Heritage trout streams — some special-regulation streams in the White Mountains carry their own season dates, often running April through September with no winter access to protect spawning fish.
• Connecticut River Trophy Stretch (Pittsburg) — runs January 1 through October 15 with special-regulation slot limits; check the current rule before fishing.

The default statewide trout regulation is 5 trout per day with a 6-inch minimum size (any combination of brook, brown, and rainbow trout). That default governs most waters — the everyday stocked fishery and most freestone streams.

The marquee fly waters override the default in specific places:

• Connecticut River Trophy Stretch (Pittsburg) — 2-fish aggregate daily, 12-inch minimum on trout, 15-inch minimum on landlocked salmon. The most restrictive special reg in the state, protecting trophy browns and salmon below First Connecticut Lake.
• Wild Trout Streams — designated White Mountains and northern NH streams with reduced bag limits (often 2 fish), increased size minimums, and frequent fly-fishing-only or artificial-only restrictions to protect wild populations.
• Heritage Trout Waters — a smaller subset of streams with the strongest wild populations, carrying the most restrictive rules (often 1 fish or C&R only).
• Andover and Berlin C&R section (Androscoggin) — a designated catch-and-release-only section below Berlin to protect the wild brown population.

New Hampshire's wild trout fishery is concentrated in the White Mountains and the headwaters of the major drainages. NH F&G manages a tiered system to protect them:

• Wild Trout Streams — designated waters where stocking is restricted or prohibited and natural reproduction supports the fishery. The Ellis River near Jackson, parts of the Wild River in Evans Notch, and select reaches of the upper Pemigewasset tributaries fall in this category.
• Heritage Trout Waters — a smaller designation for waters with the strongest wild brook trout populations and the longest history of self-sustaining reproduction. The most restrictive regulations apply. Headwater tributaries throughout the White Mountains carry this designation.
• Trophy Stretch (Connecticut River, Pittsburg) — a special category protecting the cold tailwater below First Connecticut Lake, where browns over 15 lbs have been documented.

New Hampshire follows a hybrid public-trust system. Most navigable rivers carry public fishing rights — the public has the right to fish, boat, and wade in waters historically used for navigation or commerce. The White Mountain National Forest and state-owned WMA lands cover a substantial portion of the state's best wild-trout watersheds, guaranteeing access without easement negotiation.

The practical rules:

• White Mountain National Forest — public access guaranteed across millions of acres. The Saco corridor along the Kancamagus, the Wild River drainage in Evans Notch, the Ellis above Jackson, and the upper Pemigewasset tributaries all flow through WMNF land with parking, trailheads, and campgrounds.
• Posted "No Trespassing" signs — control bank land. You cannot legally walk through posted private land to reach the river without permission.
• Logging roads in northern NH — the Great North Woods region (Coos County, Pittsburg area) includes private timber-company land accessed via logging roads that may have access fees or seasonal closures.
• Andover and Conway corridor — popular fishing reaches with multiple state-owned access points; parking and pull-offs are well-marked.

NH's default trout regulation is 5 fish per day, 6-inch minimum, January 1 through October 15 on most waters. Special-regulation sections override this default on the marquee Wild and Heritage waters and the Pittsburg Trophy Stretch.

• Default Trout Waters — 5 fish/day, 6-inch minimum, January 1 – October 15.
• Pittsburg Trophy Stretch — 2 trout aggregate, 12-inch minimum trout, 15-inch minimum salmon.
• Wild Trout Streams — typically 2 fish/day, 8–10 inch minimum, often artificial-only.
• Heritage Trout Waters — typically 1 fish or C&R only, fly-fishing or artificial-only.
• Designated Trout Ponds — varies; often April–October season with reduced limits.

Buy licenses and read the current year's full freshwater fishing digest at wildlife.nh.gov/fishing. The water-by-water special regulations, season dates, and Wild and Heritage designations are all in the annual digest published as a PDF and a printed booklet at any license agent.