2026 regulation year
3rd Connecticut Lake 2026 — New Hampshire Fishing Regulations
New Hampshire statewide rules apply unless overridden below.
Last updated
3rd Connecticut Lake carries 2 special-regulation overlays on top of New Hampshire's 2026 fishing rules — covering Brook trout (native Eastern brook trout). Verify the agency booklet before launching: in-season changes are not yet wired to this page.
Get change alerts
Watch 3rd Connecticut Lake (NH) and we'll email you when a season, bag limit, slot, or closure changes. Free while in beta.
State-level special regulation
278-acre — Trophy Trout Pond rules; 18 in min wild brook trout, 2 / day; native + wild brook trout focus; one of NH's most-protected wild trout waters
Source: New Hampshire special-water list
Per-species rules on 3rd Connecticut Lake
Brook trout (native Eastern brook trout) regulations →
18 in min, 2 / day combined; Trophy Trout Pond; native + wild brook trout focus
Official source
New Hampshire Fish & Game Department (NHF&G) — Inland Fisheries Division + Marine Fisheries Division publishes the authoritative 2026 New Hampshire fishing regulations. Special-regulation lakes and rivers are listed in the agency booklet — always verify before fishing.
Visit official New Hampshire fishing regulations →
Emergency-order channel
In-season closures, slot-limit changes, and run-count-driven harvest pauses are posted to New Hampshire Fish & Game Department's emergency-order feed — check it before any New Hampshire trip during the active season.
Other special-regulation waters in New Hampshire
- 1st Connecticut Lake
- 2nd Connecticut Lake
- Androscoggin River — Errol to Berlin
- Archery Pond (Allenstown, Merrimack County)
- Atlantic Ocean
- Big Diamond Pond (Stewartstown, Coos County)
- Big Squam Lake
- Clarksville Pond (Clarksville, Coos County)
- Coldrain Pond (New Durham, Strafford County)
- Cole Pond (Enfield, Grafton County)
- Connecticut Lakes 'Trophy Stretch'
- Connecticut River main stem — NH/VT boundary
Frequently asked questions
- What special fishing regulations apply at 3rd Connecticut Lake?
- 3rd Connecticut Lake carries 2 special-regulation overlays that override New Hampshire's statewide 2026 rules, covering Brook trout (native Eastern brook trout). One of them reads: "278-acre — Trophy Trout Pond rules; 18 in min wild brook trout, 2 / day; native + wild brook trout focus; one of NH's most-protected wild trout waters." Every overlay on this water body is listed in full above.
- Do I need a fishing license to fish 3rd Connecticut Lake?
- Yes. 3rd Connecticut Lake is in New Hampshire, so a valid New Hampshire fishing license is required just as it is anywhere else in the state, issued by New Hampshire Fish & Game Department (NHF&G) — Inland Fisheries Division + Marine Fisheries Division. The special regulations on this page change the bag, size, slot, or gear rules for 3rd Connecticut Lake; they do not waive the license requirement. Free-fishing days and youth exemptions follow the statewide New Hampshire rules.
- Do 3rd Connecticut Lake's special rules replace New Hampshire's statewide limits?
- Only where they conflict. New Hampshire's statewide 2026 regulations apply on 3rd Connecticut Lake by default; the overlays above replace the matching statewide rules for the species or gear they name, while everything not specifically overridden still follows the statewide rule. When a water-body rule and the statewide rule disagree, the water-body rule wins.
- Which species have special rules on 3rd Connecticut Lake?
- Brook trout (native Eastern brook trout) has a water-body-specific rule on 3rd Connecticut Lake, each linking to its full New Hampshire regulations above. Species not listed here follow the statewide New Hampshire limits.