New Hampshire Fishing Calendar
What's biting month by month, and how many New Hampshire charters on Unreel target each fish.
| Fish | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Trout15 charters · April to June and September to October | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Bluefin Tuna10 charters · July to October | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: off peak | June: off peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Salmon9 charters · April to June and September to October | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Striped Bass7 charters · May to October | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Bluefish5 charters · June to October | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: off peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Haddock5 charters · May to October | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Smallmouth Bass4 charters · May to September | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Cod3 charters · May to October | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Shark3 charters · June to September | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: off peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
Shaded months are the typical peak for a charter trip. The outlined column is this month.
New Hampshire fishing, month by month
- January
- Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.
- February
- Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.
- March
- Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.
- May
- Trout, Salmon, Striped Bass, Haddock, Smallmouth Bass, Cod
- June
- Trout, Salmon, Striped Bass, Bluefish, Haddock, Smallmouth Bass, Cod, Shark
- July
- Bluefin Tuna, Striped Bass, Bluefish, Haddock, Smallmouth Bass, Cod, Shark
- August
- Bluefin Tuna, Striped Bass, Bluefish, Haddock, Smallmouth Bass, Cod, Shark
- September
- Trout, Bluefin Tuna, Salmon, Striped Bass, Bluefish, Haddock, Smallmouth Bass, Cod, Shark
- October
- Trout, Bluefin Tuna, Salmon, Striped Bass, Bluefish, Haddock, Cod
- November
- Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.
- December
- Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.
Before you book
- Striped Bass: Striped bass is closed in federal waters, more than 3 miles offshore, so trips fish inside that line. Many states also close spawning rivers in spring.
- Cod: Gulf of Maine cod is tightly limited. Many trips target haddock and pollock instead.
How this calendar is built
The charter counts are live from the Unreel directory: each one is a New Hampshire charter that lists that fish as a target. A fish only appears here if at least three local charters target it.
The shaded months are general peak windows for New England, not fishing regulations. For ocean species, the spawning, migration and federal closure notes were checked against NOAA Fisheries species profiles, and for inshore and freshwater species against state wildlife agency guidance and rules. Seasons, closures and limits change every year and can differ by water, so check New Hampshire's current regulations and ask your captain what is running before you book.