Lake Quality in the NH Lakes Region- Guide
COLOR (Water Clarity)
Clear 0-25 / Light Tea-Color 25-40 / Tea Color 40-75
PLANTS
Sparse growth (SG)- few emergent plants; Scattered (SP)- small patches or shoreline growth; Common plants (CP)-plants around the shoreline; Abundant (AG) shoreline growth with thick surface patches visible; Very Abundant (VG) ½ the surface area covered
TROPHIC CLASS is a designation of a lake according to algae production, rooted plant growth, water clarity and bottom dissolved oxygen levels
Highest: OLIGO TROPHIC, Medium: MESOTROPHIC, Declining/Poor: EUTROTROPHIC
OLIGO – Minimal Support for algal blooms or rooted plant growth. Aesthetically these lakes are the best of the three ratings and include most of the larger and deeper lakes.
MESO – Moderate Support of algal production in these lakes and phosphorus production is low.
EUTRO – High Support of algal production – lowest lake rating
Water level ph, phosphorus and alkalinity are available upon request.
Body of Water | Acres | Max. Depth | Color | Trophic | Town | Plants |
Ashuelot Pond | 299 | 23′ | 30 | MESO | Washington | cp |
Beech Pond, Lower | 154 | 49′ | 10 | OLIGO | Tuftonboro | cp |
Blaisdell Lake | 158 | 43′ | 11 | OLIGO | Sutton | sg |
Bow Lake | 1,160 | 75′ | 14 | MESO | Strafford, Northwood | sg |
Crescent Lake | 148 | 21′ | 20 | OLIGO | Wolfeboro | sg |
Crystal Lake | 364 | 54′ | 24 | OLIGO | Enfield | sp |
Crystal Lake | 441 | 51′ | 26 | OLIGO | Gilmanton | sg |
Dan Hole Pond | 408 | 131′ | 20 | OLIGO | Tuftonboro | sp |
Eastman Pond | 334 | 40′ | 23 | MESO | Grantham | cp |
Franklin Pierce Lake (Jackman Reservoir) |
519 | 30′ | 30 | OLIGO | Hillsboro | sp |
Gregg Lake | 195 | 36 | 12 | OLIGO | Antrim | sp |
Goose Pond | 553 | 33′ | 18 | OLIGO | Canaan | sp |
Grafton Pond | 320 | 65′ | 15 | MESO | Grafton | cp |
Great East Lake | 1,706 | 102‘ | N/A | N/A | Wakefield | sp |
Half Moon Lake | 280 | 20‘ | 18 | MESO | Alton, Barnstead | cp |
Hermit Lake | 176 | 49‘ | 15 | MESO | Sanbornton | vg |
Highland Lake | 210 | 47‘ | 20 | MESO | Andover | sp |
Highland Lake | 711 | 29‘ | 30 | MESO | Washington | cp |
Hills Pond | 137 | 42‘ | 30 | MESO | Alton | cp |
Island Pond | 202 | 55‘ | 15 | OLIGO | Washington | sp |
Jenness Pond | 243 | 28‘ | 8 | MESO | Northwood, Pittsfield | cg |
Lake Kanasatka | 371 | 40′ | 8 | OLIGO | Moultonbourogh | sp |
Kezar Lake | 181 | 26′ | 15 | MESO | Sutton | sp |
Kolkelemook Lake | 98 | 22′ | 10 | OLIGO | Springfield | sp |
Little Sunapee Lake | 471 | 43′ | 10 | MESO | New London, Springfield | sg |
Loon Pond | 121 | 45′ | 10 | MESO | Gilmanton | cp |
Loon Lake | 111 | 29′ | 17 | MESO | Plymouth | sp |
Lovell Lake | 537 | 41′ | 15 | OLIGO | Wakefield | sg |
Manning Lake | 202 | 53′ | 20 | OLIGO | Gilmanton | sg |
Mascoma Lake | 1,114 | 65′ | 25 | MESO | Enfield | sg |
Massasecum Lake | 401 | 49′ | 14 | MESO | Bradford | cg |
Mendum’s Pond | 252 | 52 | 39 | OLIGO | Nottingham | sg |
Merrymeeting Lake | 1,111 | 135′ | 0 | OLIGO | New Durham | sg |
Mirror Lake | 377 | 43′ | 25 | MESO | Tuftonboro, Wolfeboro | cg |
Mountainview Lake | 104 | 22′ | 16 | OLIGO | Sunapee | sp |
Newfound Lake | 4,105 | 182′ | 0 | OLIGO | Alexandria, Bridgewater, Bristol, Hebron |
sp |
Northwood Lake | 686 | 24′ | 24 | MESO | Northwood, Deerfield, Epsom | sp |
Opechee Bay | 426 | 61′ | 5 | OLIGO | Laconia | sp |
Ossipee Lake | 3091 | 50′ | 21 | OLIGO | Freedom, Ossipee | sg |
Otter Pond | 184 | 24′ | 12 | MESO | Sunapee | cp |
Pine River Pond | 593 | 42′ | 10 | MESO | Wakefield | sp |
Pemigewasset Lake | 241 | 28′ | 38 | MESO | Meredith, New Hampton | ag |
Perkins Pond | 156 | 8′ | 10 | OLIGO | Sunapee | sp |
Pleasant Lake | 493 | 65′ | 0 | OLIGO | Deerfield | sg |
Rust Pond | 210 | 40′ | 7 | MESO | Wolfeboro | sp |
Sawyer Lake | 79 | 15′ | 17 | OLIGO | Gilmanton | sp |
Shellcamp Pond | 148 | 15′ | 70 | MESO | Gilmanton | vg |
Silver Lake | 216 | 19′ | 9′ | MESO | Belmont, Tilton | vg |
Silver Lake | 994 | 164′ | 12 | OLIGO | Madison | sg |
Spectacle Pond | 107 | 18′ | 15 | OLIGO | Enfield | cg |
Sunapee Lake | 4,090 | 104′ | 5 | OLIGO | Newbury, New London, Sunapee | sp |
Lower Suncook Pond | 216 | 15′ | 18 | MESO | Barnstead | cp |
Upper Suncook Pond | 362 | 41′ | 28 | OLIGO | Barnstead | sp |
Sunrise Lake | 250 | man made lake | Middleton | |||
Sunset Lake | 205 | 77′ | 15 | OLIGO | Alton | sg |
Squam Lake | 6,764 | 99′ | 0 | OLIGO | Holderness, Sandwich, Center Harbor |
sg |
Swain’s Lake | 405 | 21′ | 33 | MESO | Barrington | cg |
Lake Waukewan | 912 | 70′ | 13 | OLIGO | Meredith, New Hampton | sg |
Webster Lake | 612 | 38′ | 7 | OLIGO | Franklin | sp |
Lake Wentworth | 3,017 | 82′ | 11 | OLIGO | Wolfeboro | sg |
Wickwas Lake | 328 | 35′ | 22 | MESO | Meredith | vg |
Wild Goose Pond | 98 | 21′ | 20 | OLIGO | Pittsfield | cp |
Lake Winnepocket | 226 | 66′ | 7 | OLIGO | Webster | sg |
Lake Winnipesaukee | 44,585 | 180′ | 0-14 | OLIGO | Alton, Center Harbor, Gilford, Laconia, Meredith, Moultonboro, Tuftonboro, Wolfeboro |
sg |
Lake Winnisquam | 4,264 | 150′ | 7 | OLIGO | Belmont, Laconia, Meredith, Sanbornton, Tilton | sg |
Lake Winona | 154 | 47.9′ | 12 | MESO | New Hampton | sg |
Additional lake quality support information websites
NH LAKES is a statewide, nonprofit, member-supported organization dedicated to protecting New Hampshire’s lakes, which are integral to the quality of life and economic health of the State. Official NH Lakes Website
NH Department of Environmental Services, water division\
http://des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/index.htm
New Hampshire Water Quality Reports
http://nhwatersheds.unh.edu/quality.html
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