New Hampshire NFC Chimes in on Proposed Brook trout Pond Regulation Changes...
Another year goes by without adding any new Wild Trout Management waters. What is New Hampshire Fish and Game afraid of?
“New Hampshire has just three formally recognized Wild Trout ponds. All are home to self-sustaining native brook trout. Under the previous rule proposal in 2024, the number of wild trout ponds was to be expanded to five ponds. While the current proposal maintains the three existing wild trout ponds, it does not add any new ones...”
In late 2024, New Hampshire Fish and Game (NHFG) put out a proposal that would have gutted protections for wild native brook trout in the state. It would have also all but removed fly fishing only (FFO) restrictions. While NFC stayed out of the tackle debate, and focused solely on the potential impact to wild native brook trout, the FFO component of the proposal resulted in a notable amount of opposition from fly fishers, guides, businesses, and TU, which forced NHFG to go back to the drawing board.
A new proposal was released in early April 2026. While the proposal leaves rivers and streams alone and focuses solely on trout ponds, it hasn’t been received much better by the public than the 2024 proposal. NFC had no input in regard to the proposal, and based on testimony at the public hearings, neither did TU. It’s as if NHFG developed the proposal in a vacuum, and didn’t listen to what people said last time around.
Wild Native Brook Trout Ponds - No New Additions…
While the current proposal from NHFG leaves the 3 Wild Trout Management (WTM) ponds alone, no new WTM ponds are being proposed for 2027. That extends the period with no new Wild Trout Management ponds to 23 years. What is NHFG afraid of? Increasing the number of protected wild trout waters would be ecologically, economically, and socially beneficial.
Expansion of Live Fish as Bait - A Ecologically Dangerous Idea…
Under the current proposal, more than 50 ponds would have their tackle regulations changed from No Live Fish as Bait to General Law which allows the use of live fish as bait. The use of live fish as bait can result in the accidental introduction of nonnative fish. And it is not limited to baitfish species, but also species such as sunfish, perch, and bass, etc., due to misidentification associated with the use of self-trapped bait.
An expansion of live fish as bait not only puts these ponds at risk, but also their tributaries, many of which are home to wild native brook trout. Many of the ponds proposed for live fish as bait are in Coos, Carroll, and Grafton Counties which are home to many wild native brook trout streams. And several of the ponds are currently unstocked and may contain wild native brook trout.
Airport Pond in Whitefield is slated to lose its no live fish as bait rule. This is an impoundment on Carroll Brook, an unstocked wild native brook trout stream, and one of just 13 formally designated Wild Trout Management streams in the state. Allowing the use of live fish as bait would put the stream at risk of nonnative fish introductions.
Why Fix What Isn’t Broke…
As far as NFC can tell, the primary opposition to adding new Wild Trout Management ponds come from New Hampshire Fish and Game. The same holds true for the proposed expansion of the ecologically dangerous use of live fish as bait. Sold as a way to increase “opportunity,” when opportunity wins the resource usually loses and the fishing declines..
“The number of Wild trout ponds has not changed in 23 years. There are a number of ponds in the state that meet the criteria for Wild Trout Management designation that are not classified as such. NFC believes that all waters that meet the published inclusion criteria for Wild Trout Management designation should be managed as such. This includes suspending stocking where wild native brook trout are present... ”
