Overview
Lake Winnipesaukee is a roughly 44,600-acre natural glacial lake in New Hampshire's Lakes Region—the state's largest lake—raised slightly by the Lakeport Dam on the Winnipesaukee River outlet at Laconia. The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Dam Bureau operates Lakeport Dam to manage outflow toward the Merrimack River while supporting recreation and downstream uses across a watershed of roughly 336 square miles.
With about 240 miles of shoreline (including larger islands), an average depth near 43 feet, and a maximum depth of about 180 feet, Winnipesaukee is an oligotrophic lake of broad open water (The Broads), rocky reefs, sandy and boulder shores, and more than 250 islands. Clear water and complex bottom structure make it one of New England's most distinctive inland seas.
The lake is a premier Northeast destination for boating, sailing, and fishing for lake trout, landlocked salmon, bass, and panfish. Public beaches, marinas, and town landings serve communities from Wolfeboro and Alton to Meredith, Weirs Beach, and Laconia; anglers should consult the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department for regulations.
Winnipesaukee is not a Corps-style storage reservoir with winter and flood pools. DES manages the Lakeport Dam around a full-pool target near 504.32 feet above mean sea level. Seasonal weather, ice-out, and dam releases still change docks and shallow bars, so monitoring current lake levels is helpful for navigation, fishing, and shoreline property throughout the year.
Current Conditions
Lake Winnipesaukee is currently 0.72 feet below full pool and has fallen slightly over the past week.
- 7-day trendFallingLatest movement can differ from the seven-day trend.
- 7-day changeDown 0.16 ft
- 30-day changeDown 0.48 ft
- Drought conditionsAbnormally Dry
About This Lake
Learn how this lake is managed, what affects its water level, and where Lake Insights gets its data.
Lake Winnipesaukee is a 44,586-acre reservoir on the Numerous small tributaries across a ~336 sq mi watershed managed by New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NH DES) Dam Bureau (operates Lakeport Dam).