Best New Hampshire Lakes for Boating

29 New Hampshire lakes meet our boating bar — each has a cited public-access or conditions signal behind it. Top of the list: Lake Winnipesaukee in Belknap County. Ranked by public boat ramps and marinas, then surface acres; surface acreage and live readings are shown where published.

Public boat ramps come from NH F&G open data; marinas from OpenStreetMap; surface acres from USGS NHD or cited research.

  1. 1

    Lake Winnipesaukee

    Belknap County, NH45,654 acres

    19 public boat ramps

    See full conditions & things to do
  2. 2

    Squam Lake

    Belknap County, NH6,791 acres

    5 public boat ramps

    See full conditions & things to do
  3. 3

    Sunapee Lake

    Sullivan County, NH4,125 acres

    5 public boat ramps

    See full conditions & things to do
  4. 4

    Newfound Lake

    Grafton County, NH4,451 acres

    3 public boat ramps

    See full conditions & things to do
  5. 5

    Massabesic Lake

    Rockingham County, NH2,561 acres

    3 public boat ramps

    See full conditions & things to do
  6. 6

    First Connecticut Lake

    Coös County, NH3,071 acres

    2 public boat ramps

    See full conditions & things to do
  7. 7

    Lake Francis

    Coös County, NH1,934 acres

    2 public boat ramps

    See full conditions & things to do
  8. 8

    Silver Lake

    Carroll County, NH1,171 acres

    2 public boat ramps

    See full conditions & things to do
  9. 9

    Mascoma Lake

    Grafton County, NH1,155 acres

    2 public boat ramps

    See full conditions & things to do
  10. 10

    Bow Lake

    Strafford County, NH1,140 acres

    2 public boat ramps

    See full conditions & things to do
  11. 11

    Highland Lake

    Cheshire County, NH903 acres

    2 public boat ramps

    See full conditions & things to do
  12. 12

    Pawtuckaway Pond

    Rockingham County, NH784 acres

    2 public boat ramps

    See full conditions & things to do
  13. 13

    Little Sunapee Lake

    Merrimack County, NH486 acres

    2 public boat ramps

    See full conditions & things to do
  14. 14

    Umbagog Lake

    Coös County, NH7,642 acres

    1 public boat ramp

    See full conditions & things to do
  15. 15

    Lake Winnisquam

    Belknap County, NH4,214 acres

    1 public boat ramp

    See full conditions & things to do

More best-of lists for New Hampshire lakes

New Hampshire boating — frequently asked

What is the best lake for boating in New Hampshire?

Lake Winnipesaukee in Belknap County tops the list — 19 public boat ramps. 29 New Hampshire lakes qualify for this list overall.

How is this New Hampshire boating list ranked?

Every lake on the list has a cited public-access or conditions signal — never an opinion. We rank by total public ramps (NH F&G) + marinas (OpenStreetMap), then by surface acreage (USGS NHD). LakeVibe doesn't invent rankings: a lake only appears here when the data already supports it.

Which New Hampshire lakes are best for boating?

Our top picks are Lake Winnipesaukee, Squam Lake, Sunapee Lake, Newfound Lake. Tap any lake for its full conditions, things to do, and where to stay.