***A beautiful but heavily stocked river in New hampshire’s White Mountains region…***

Bob Mallard - Executive Director, Native Fish Coalition

As winter releases its six-month grip on New Hampshire’s White Mountains region, I am once again reminded of the poor condition of most frontcountry rivers and large streams. While they look healthy to the casual observer, most rivers and large streams in the White Mountains are heavily stocked and nearly devoid of wild native brook trout. And the situation just keeps getting worse…

While stocked at the time, most rivers and streams in New Hampshire’s White Mountain region still supported healthy wild native brook trout populations when I was young. As the decades passed, I witnessed a notable decline in the wild brook trout populations to a point where they are barely hanging on in most frontcountry rivers and streams.

The loss of wild native brook trout from many White Mountain rivers did not happen overnight. It was not the result of any catastrophic event. The decline was slow but steady, and the result of decades of stocking, unchecked angler exploitation, habitat degradation, and possibly warming water. Unlike other states, invasive fish have had a minimal impact on White Mountains streams.

Ongoing stocking throughout the summer now props up most frontcountry rivers and large streams in New Hampshire’s White Mountains region. And even this is not holding up, as if you find yourself between stocking events you are likely to experience marginal fishing at best. Without the wild fish, these waters have become nearly pure put-and-take fisheries.

Zealand River

Just a few years ago I would have ranked the Zealand River above the nearby Ammonoosuc, Ellis, Isreal, Peabody, Saco, and Swift Rivers when it came to general health. While heavily stocked and suffering from high levels of angler exploitation, as well as habitat degradation caused by ill-advised attempts to control the flow and epic flooding, the Zealand River still maintained a healthy wild native brook trout fishery.

Unfortunately, efforts by the U.S. Forest Service to save a road and protect access to a municipal water supply dam and hiking trails by moving the river has negatively impacted the Zealand River to a point where I now consider it the most compromised river in the region, and possibly the state. Whether wild native brook trout will persist in the new river channel is yet to be determined. But it does not look good…

learn more

the beginning of the end

the end

ammonoosuc river

Once my favorite White Mountains region river, I have all but stopped fishing the Ammonoosuc River. As recently as five or so years ago, I was still fishing truck-to-truck stretches of the Ammonoosuc River, as well as park-and-walk sections when time was limited. After several near shutouts on long sections of river that once supported a good fishery, we have moved on to greener pastures.

Most of the traffic you now see on the Ammonoosuc River is visiting casual anglers looking to harvest their limit of freshly stocked fish. Spinning rods and bait far outnumber fly rods, and most of the traffic is now centered around well-known stocking sites. The situation on the Ammonoosuc River declined after the Ellis, Peabody, Saco, and Swift Rivers had dropped off notably…

Learn more

Saco River

The Saco River is the largest river in New Hampshire’s White Mountains region. Beginning at tiny Saco Lake in Crawford Notch, the Saco River flows roughly 50 miles before crossing into Maine. While its lower sections were likely never great wild native brook trout habitat due to their size and seasonal thermal stress, the Saco River headwaters should be notably better than they are.

Unfortunately, the upper Saco River is heavily stocked, easily accessible throughout most of its length, and subject to high levels of angler exploitation. The upper Saco River is managed under general fishing laws which in New Hampshire means unrestricted bait, a 5-fish a day bag limit, and no minimum length limit. This in conjunction with high tourist traffic puts a huge strain on the wild native brook trout…

Learn more

Swift River

The quintessential ruggedly beautiful New England freestone stream, the Swift River in New Hampshire’s White Mountains region, is not what it could or should be when it comes to fish. While wild native brook trout still persist in the upper reaches of the Swift River, the heavily stocked and exploited middle and lower sections are oddly devoid of such.

While not without issues, the Swift River has not suffered as much habitat damage due to flooding as the Ammonoosuc, Ellis, Isreal, Peabody, Saco, and Zealand Rivers have. That’s likely due to the high gradient throughout most of its length. Although this relatively sterile river will never support the abundance of fish that more fertile rivers can, it should support much more wild native brook trout than it does.

Learn more

summary

Support for wild native brook trout in New Hampshire’s White Mountains region has been sadly lacking. While anglers, businesses, and guides publicly opposed a recent proposal to remove protective regulations from stocked brook trout ponds and several nonnative river fisheries, we have not been able to garner the same level of support for wild native brook trout.

While much of the land is owned by the U.S. Forest Service, they do not have jurisdiction over what lives there, including fish. Fisheries management is the responsibility of New Hampshire Fish and Game. With the exception of two sections of stocked river, there are no protective regulations on White Mountains rivers and streams.

While the lack of wild native brook trout in New Hampshire’s White Mountains region frontcountry is touted as a “habitat problem” by New Hampshire Fish and Game, as former NH NFC Chair and longtime White Mountains fishing guide Nate Hill said, it is more of a “habit problem.” And that habit is stocking and a refusal to protect wild native fish…

nfc wild native brook trout management prtoposal

NFC on 2025 proposed regulation changes