1. Home
  2. Lakes
  3. New Hampshire

Lakes in New Hampshire

32 lakes in New Hampshire with photography planning data — sunrise and sunset azimuths, golden hour by month, Milky Way windows and estimated sky darkness. Grafton County has the most (5). The darkest skies are at Umbagog Lake (Bortle 2).

Top lakes

Lake WinnipesaukeeLake
Lake WinnipesaukeeBelknap County · 153 m
Squam LakeLake
Squam LakeBelknap County · 171 m
Newfound LakeLake
Newfound LakeGrafton County · 179 m
Umbagog LakeLake
Umbagog LakeCoos County · 379 m
Profile LakeLake
Profile LakeGrafton County · 592 m
Lake SunapeeLake
Lake SunapeeMerrimack County · 350 m
Ossipee LakeLake
Ossipee LakeCarroll County · 125 m
Lake MassasecumLake
Lake MassasecumMerrimack County · 193 m
Lake WentworthLake
Lake WentworthCarroll County · 163 m
Webster LakeLake
Webster LakeMerrimack County · 122 m
Highland LakeLake
Highland LakeCheshire County · 395 m
Lake WaukewanLake
Lake WaukewanBelknap County · 164 m

Lakes by county

All lakes (32)

NameCountyElevationNearest townSky
Lake WinnipesaukeeBelknap County153 mGilford4
Squam LakeBelknap County171 mHolderness3
Newfound LakeGrafton County179 mBridgewater3
Umbagog LakeCoos County379 mMilan2
Profile LakeGrafton County592 mDeerfield3
Lake SunapeeMerrimack County350 mSunapee5
Ossipee LakeCarroll County125 mFreedom3
Lake MassasecumMerrimack County193 mSutton4
Lake WentworthCarroll County163 mWolfeboro4
Webster LakeMerrimack County122 mFranklin5
Highland LakeCheshire County395 mAntrim4
Lake WaukewanBelknap County164 mMeredith4
Success PondCoos County488 mMilan2
Chocorua LakeCarroll County175 mTamworth4
Christine LakeCoos County367 mGroveton2
Country PondRockingham County35 mNewton6
Little Squam LakeGrafton County172 mHolderness4
Willard PondHillsborough County353 mAntrim4
Dublin PondCheshire County451 mDublin4
Echo LakeGrafton County591 mDeerfield3
Echo LakeCarroll County145 mNorth Conway3
Powwow PondRockingham County35 mEast Kingston6
Silver Lake (Hollis, New Hampshire)Hillsborough County83 mHollis6
Halfmoon LakeBelknap County198 mNew Durham4
Baboosic LakeHillsborough County71 mMerrimack5
Silver LakeCheshire County402 mHarrisville4
Skatutakee LakeCheshire County366 mHarrisville4
Goose PondGrafton County245 mEnfield3
Great PondRockingham County36 mKingston6
Jenness PondRockingham County200 mEpsom5
Lake SolitudeMerrimack County766 mNewbury4
Tuxbury PondRockingham County28 mNewton6

Sky = estimated Bortle class (1 darkest – 9 brightest).

Map

How to photograph lakes

Lakes reflect best in calm air — usually the first hour after sunrise, before breezes ripple the surface.

  • For mirror reflections, get low and close to the water; the reflection grows with a lower camera.
  • A polarizer can remove reflections to show the lakebed — or keep them, depending on rotation.
  • Mist often lifts off lakes on cold mornings after warm days, especially in autumn.
  • Include shoreline rocks, reeds or a log as foreground to give the reflection depth.
  • Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.

Season: Autumn mornings bring mist and fall color; high-elevation lakes are usually ice-free only from early summer to mid-autumn.