Contoocook River

Fishing, stocking, and current conditions

Brown trout, rainbow trout, and brook trout water, stocked 24 times in 2026, spread April to May, heaviest in April; 5,295 fish reported. A USGS gauge reports from this water, so the conditions card on this page is live.

New Hampshire · see it on the national map

last stocked May 11 165 days ago

flow 120% of seasonal normal

best window 9:45-11:45 pm solunar major today

Water right now 2.25 ft gage height flow 404 cfs, 120% of the Oct 23 median USGS gauge 01085500 (CONTOOCOOK R BL HOPKINTON DAM AT W HOPKINTON, NH) · read 8:00 pm this evening

24 stockings 2026

5,295 fish reported

The year here

stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details

What swims here

Rainbow trout 10 stockings

Brown trout 10 stockings

Brook trout 4 stockings

Stocking record 2026

Agency feed checked today.

Date	Species	Size	Fish	Status
Apr 10	Rainbow trout	yearling	600	completed
Apr 14	Brown trout x 2 sections	yearling	148	completed
Apr 14	Rainbow trout x 2 sections	yearling	100	completed
Apr 20	Brown trout	yearling	95	completed
Apr 20	Rainbow trout x 2 sections	yearling	200	completed
Apr 20	Brown trout	yearling	147	completed
Apr 21	Brook trout	yearling	300	completed
Apr 21	Brook trout	yearling	400	completed
Apr 28	Brook trout	yearling	525	completed
Apr 28	Brown trout	yearling	680	completed
Apr 28	Rainbow trout	yearling	400	completed
May 7	Rainbow trout x 2 sections	yearling	100	completed
May 7	Brown trout	yearling	52	completed
May 11	Brown trout	yearling	165	completed
May 11	Brown trout	yearling	100	completed
May 11	Brown trout	yearling	140	completed
May 11	Rainbow trout x 2 sections	yearling	100	completed
May 11	Brook trout	yearling	245	completed
May 11	Brown trout	yearling	150	completed

When to fish Contoocook River

	Major periods (~2 h)	Minor periods (~1 h)
Today	9:22-11:22 am and 9:45-11:45 pm	3:38-4:38 am and 3:55-4:55 pm
Tomorrow	10:08 am-12:08 pm and 10:32 pm-12:32 am	4:49-5:49 am and 4:16-5:16 pm

Moon: waxing gibbous, 92% lit. These are solunar periods, the traditional feeding-time theory: majors around the moon's transit overhead and underfoot, minors around moonrise and moonset. Theory, not a measurement. Times are Eastern Time (EDT).

What the record actually says

Last stocked May 11
Flow 120% of the seasonal median

Computed this evening, Oct 23 · New Hampshire fishing forecast

Gear for this water

It has been a while since the trucks came. The holdovers have spread out and wised up; downsize and fish natural.

For the trout (rainbow trout stocked 10 times here in 2026, moving water)

Light spinning rod	5 to 6.5 ft light or ultralight; short rods cast under branches
Inline spinners	1/16 to 1/8 oz silver or gold; swing them across the current seams
Drifted bait	single salmon egg or half a crawler under light split shot, rolled along the bottom

Suggestions follow from what the state actually stocks here and what kind of water it is, nothing else. No sponsored placements.

Nearby stocked waters

The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.

Water	Distance	Most recent
Warner River	7.3 mi	May 8
Soucook River	10 mi	May 29
Pemigewasset River	11 mi	Jun 30
Winnipesaukee River	11 mi	Jun 4
Tioga River	12 mi	May 5

Follow New Hampshire stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule

Records from New Hampshire Fish and Game (official page). Placement from USGS GNIS. Schedules change without notice. Seasons, limits, and licenses: New Hampshire fishing regulations.