Lake Winnipesaukee

Lake Winnipesaukee is the largest lake in New Hampshire and one of the most beloved in New England — a sprawling, irregular expanse of clear water dotted with hundreds of islands, set in the foothills of the White Mountains in the heart of the state’s Lakes Region. Its name is often translated as ‘Smile of the Great Spirit,’ and the mountain-ringed lake has drawn summer visitors for generations.

About 21 miles long with some 250 islands and a deeply indented shoreline, Winnipesaukee offers boating, sailing, swimming, fishing and island-hopping, with classic lakeside towns like Wolfeboro (one of America’s oldest summer resorts), Meredith and Weirs Beach, and the historic MS Mount Washington cruise ship plying its waters. Backed by the Ossipee and Belknap mountains, it is a quintessential New England lake. A sparkling mountain-ringed lake, Winnipesaukee is a treasured natural icon of New Hampshire.

Summer (June through August) is the prime season, when the water warms for swimming and boating, the towns and cruises are in full swing, and the Lakes Region is lively (and busiest), while early fall brings beautiful foliage around the lake and quieter shores. Winter brings ice fishing and snowmobiling. The fishing for salmon and trout is excellent in spring and fall. Summer for the full lake experience, and fall for the foliage, are the highlights — come in summer for boating and swimming, or autumn for color and calm.

Lake Winnipesaukee and its forested shores and islands host loons (a beloved symbol of New Hampshire lakes, whose calls echo across the water), bald eagles and ospreys, ducks and other waterfowl, with deer, foxes and a variety of birds in the surrounding woods, while the lake holds landlocked salmon, lake trout, bass and other fish. The lake, its islands and the surrounding forest support varied wildlife. Winnipesaukee offers fine wildlife watching, with loons and eagles among the cherished highlights on and around this great lake.

Lake Winnipesaukee is large, busy and irregular, with many islands, shoals and heavy summer boat traffic — navigate carefully, watch for rocks and markers, wear life jackets, check the forecast (sudden winds raise waves), and follow boating rules and speed limits. The water is cold outside high summer. Watch children at the beaches and swim in designated areas. In winter, ice conditions vary and can be dangerous. Respect the lake’s size, the boat traffic and shoals, the sudden winds, the cold water and (in winter) the ice.

Lake Winnipesaukee is a premier recreation destination — boating, sailing, water-skiing, swimming, kayaking and paddleboarding across its vast island-dotted water, fishing for salmon, lake trout, bass and more, island-hopping, and scenic cruises aboard the historic MS Mount Washington, with beaches (like Weirs Beach), lakeside towns, golf and, in winter, ice fishing and snowmobiling. Boating and island-hopping, swimming, and cruising the lake are the signature draws. The combination of a huge island-studded lake, mountain backdrops and classic resort towns makes Winnipesaukee a beloved destination.

Lake Winnipesaukee and its shores were long used by the Abenaki and other Native peoples, whose name for it is often rendered ‘Smile of the Great Spirit.’ The town of Wolfeboro on its shore claims to be the oldest summer resort in America, dating to the 1700s. The lake became a beloved summer destination in the 1800s and 1900s, with steamships (the MS Mount Washington continues the tradition), grand hotels, camps and cottages. Lake Winnipesaukee preserves this great lake, its islands and its long resort heritage, a treasured icon of New Hampshire.

Lake Winnipesaukee fills a complex basin carved and shaped by the Ice Age glaciers that scoured the New Hampshire landscape, leaving the irregular, deeply indented shoreline, the hundreds of islands (many of them bedrock knobs and glacial deposits), and the surrounding hills and low mountains. The lake drains via the Winnipesaukee River toward the Merrimack. The glacial carving and deposition created the lake’s sprawling, island-studded shape, set among the foothills of the White Mountains.

Lake Winnipesaukee is a large, relatively clear lake in the New Hampshire Lakes Region, with forested shores, hundreds of islands, wetlands and tributary streams supporting cold- and warm-water fish, loons and abundant wildlife. The lake’s water quality and its loon population are the focus of strong local stewardship. Development pressure and invasive species are ongoing concerns. Protecting the water quality, the shoreline and island habitats, the loons and the fisheries sustains both the ecology and the beauty of this great New England lake.

Lake Winnipesaukee holds a treasured place among the icons of New Hampshire — the largest lake in the state and the sparkling heart of the Lakes Region, beloved for generations of summers of boating, swimming and lakeside life, dotted with islands and ringed by mountains and classic resort towns like Wolfeboro, America’s oldest summer resort. Its beauty and its loons embody the New England lake. Lake Winnipesaukee is a cherished natural icon of New Hampshire.

Lake Winnipesaukee is in central New Hampshire’s Lakes Region, ringed by the towns of Laconia/Weirs Beach, Meredith, Wolfeboro and Alton, reached via Interstate 93 and U.S. 3 and Route 11, about 90 minutes to two hours north of Boston. Public beaches, town docks, marinas, boat launches and the MS Mount Washington cruise (from Weirs Beach and others) provide access; some beaches and launches charge fees. The towns offer lodging, dining and services. Check the lakeside towns and the MS Mount Washington for beaches, launches, cruise schedules and conditions before visiting.

Local and state groups work to protect Lake Winnipesaukee’s water quality and loons. Visitors help by cleaning, draining and drying watercraft to prevent aquatic invasive species (like milfoil), preventing pollution and fuel spills, respecting loons and wildlife (keeping well away from nesting loons and rafts of chicks), protecting the shoreline, packing out everything, and following boating rules. The water quality, the loons and the shoreline are sensitive to heavy use and development. Protecting them sustains both the ecology and the beauty of this great lake.

Clean, drain and dry watercraft to prevent aquatic invasive species (required). Follow New Hampshire boating laws, speed limits and no-wake zones; wear required life jackets and carry safety gear. Some beaches and launches charge fees; respect private shoreline property. Fishing requires a New Hampshire license. Keep well away from nesting loons. Pets must be leashed at public beaches. Pack out all trash. Check the lakeside towns, NH Fish and Game, and NH Department of Safety for boating rules, launches and conditions before visiting.

The Lakes Region towns of Wolfeboro, Meredith, Laconia and Weirs Beach, the smaller Squam Lake (of ‘On Golden Pond’ fame) nearby, the White Mountains to the north, and the surrounding hills and lakes lie around Winnipesaukee. The Lakes Region and the White Mountain foothills define the region. Lake Winnipesaukee is the heart of New Hampshire’s Lakes Region, a centerpiece of a New England adventure, easily combined with the lakeside towns, Squam Lake and a trip north to the White Mountains.

Get out on the water — rent a boat or kayak to explore the islands, or take a scenic cruise on the historic MS Mount Washington — and enjoy the beaches (like Weirs Beach) and the classic lakeside towns of Wolfeboro and Meredith. Come in summer for swimming and boating (it’s busy; go early or midweek) or fall for foliage and calm. Clean your boat to protect the lake, watch for shoals and loons, wear life jackets on the big water, and combine your visit with nearby Squam Lake and the White Mountains.