Merrimack River
Fishing and stocking
Stocked April to May in 2026: brown trout, 2 plants in all.
New Hampshire · see it on the national map
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Brown trout
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked today.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 24 | Brown trout | yearling | 900 | completed |
| May 29 | Brown trout | yearling | 600 | completed |
When to fish Merrimack River
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:19-11:19 am and 9:42-11:42 pm | 3:35-4:35 am and 3:52-4:52 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:05 am-12:05 pm and 10:29 pm-12:29 am | 4:46-5:46 am and 4:13-5:13 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 29
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 (brown trout stocked 2 times here in 2026, moving water)
| 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 |
| Small jerkbaits | floating minnows in the 2 to 3 inch class for the deeper bends |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Parker River - Georgetown MA | 4.3 mi | May 7 |
| Parker River - Newbury MA | 4.3 mi | May 7 |
| Powwow River - Amesbury MA | 5.9 mi | Apr 28 |
| Bachelder Brook - Rowley MA | 7.9 mi | Apr 30 |
| Ipswich River - Topsfield MA | 8.7 mi | May 12 |
Follow New Hampshire stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule