NH Broodstock Salmon Stocking

Good news for New Hampshire freshwater fishermen looking to tangle with large, hard-fighting gamefish this fall: the broodstock Atlantic salmon have been stocked.

This fall, the Merrimack River basin recieved roughly 600 broodstocks averaging between 3 and 5 pounds.

“This is the best looking group of fish for fall release that I’ve seen in a few years,” said Matt Carpenter, a Fisheries Biologist with the Anadromous Fisheries Restoration Program. “Anglers with experience catching broodstock salmon in the fall will be pleasantly surprised at the size of some of these fish.”

To fish for brood stock salmon, anglers need a current New Hampshire fishing license and an $11 broodstock salmon permit; both are available at http://www.fishnh.com or from license agents statewide. All proceeds from salmon permits support the Merrimack River Anadromous Fish Restoration Program, created in 1993 by Fish and Game, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to help restore migratory fish populations to the Merrimack River watershed.

The brood stock salmon were stocked this fall at two sites — below the Eastman Falls Dam in Franklin and the Ayers Island Dam in Bristol. The majority of the fish were released in the Bristol area. The first good spots to try for the brood stock salmon are below the Ayers Island Dam in Bristol along the Coolidge Woods Road, the Profile Falls Recreation Area (the access site near the Smith River confluence), below the Eastman Falls Dam in Franklin and the public boat launch behind the Franklin High School on the Winnipesaukee River.

You can help the program by reporting your catch to Fish and Game. If you have questions, comments, or just want to share your fishing experience, call Matt Carpenter (603-271-2612).