Winnisquam Lake

Winnisquam Lake
Location Belknap County, New Hampshire
Coordinates 43°32′42″N 71°30′32″W / 43.54500°N 71.50889°W / 43.54500; -71.50889Coordinates: 43°32′42″N 71°30′32″W / 43.54500°N 71.50889°W / 43.54500; -71.50889
Type lake
Primary inflows Winnipesaukee River
Primary outflows Winnipesaukee River
Basin countries United States
Max. length 10.5 miles (16.9 km)
Max. width 1.5 miles (2.4 km)
Surface area 4,214 acres (17.05 km2)
Max. depth 170 feet (52 m)
Shore length1 30 miles (48 km)[1]
Surface elevation 482 feet (147 m)
Islands Loon Island; Three Islands; Pot Island; Hog Island; Mohawk Island
Settlements Meredith; Laconia; Sanbornton; Belmont; Tilton (villages of Winnisquam and Lochmere)
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Winnisquam Lake is located in Belknap County in the Lakes Region of central New Hampshire, United States, in the communities of Meredith, Laconia, Sanbornton, Belmont, and Tilton. At 4,214 acres (1,705 ha),[1] it is the fourth-largest lake located entirely in New Hampshire. The lake is primarily fed by the outlet from Lake Winnipesaukee, and Winnisquam's outlet is the Winnipesaukee River, flowing to the Merrimack River. The lake has a maximum depth of 170 feet (52 m).[2]

The lake is only a few miles from Interstate 93 via Exit 20 for U.S. Route 3 and New Hampshire Route 11. Winnisquam has two basins, a larger northern basin and a smaller southern one, with a bridge carrying Routes 3 and 11 separating them. The village of Winnisquam is located at the bridge.

The Abenaki people occupied the Winnisquam and Winnipesaukee area until colonists arrived in the mid-18th century. Winnisquam's surrounding county, Belknap, was founded in 1840 and named after Jeremy Belknap, a Congregational clergyman and prominent historian.[3]

Winnisquam Lake is home to many species of fish. Cold water species include rainbow trout, lake trout, landlocked salmon, and whitefish. The warm water species include small- and largemouth bass, pickerel, horned pout, white perch, northern pike, walleye, black crappie, bluegill, and yellow perch. Remote lake and brook trout stocking is common when authorities find it necessary.[4]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 New Hampshire GRANIT database
  2. ↑ "Lake Winnisquam, Laconia, Sanbornton, Meredith" (PDF). NH Fish and Game. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Belknap County". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Lake Winnisquam Information". Adam Dow Realtor. Retrieved December 5, 2011.


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 6/2/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.