Lake Francis Fishing Spot
- County: Coos county
- Acreage: 1934
- Public Fishing: Yes
- Mean Depth: 40'
- Max Depth: 82'
- Elevation: 1378'
- Website: http://www.cabinsatlopstick.com/FishingPages/Lake Francis.html
- Last Modified By: kash87 on 04/18/21 11:15 AM
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Fish Species
Lake Francis Description
Lake Francis is the first of 3 lakes created by the Connecticut River and its dams for the purpose of storing water for downstream hydro-electric facilities as well as flood control. Lake Francis, together with First, Second and Third Connecticut(a natural lake) lakes, offers anglers a variety of opportunities for the fishing of cold water species. Located in the northern part of NH., the shoreline of this 6 mile long lake is sparsely developed and heavily wooded. Good launching sites are available off of Rt. 3 and Lake Francis State Park, an excellent place to camp and fish. Accommodations in the area are plentiful. Lake Francis offers good Brown and Rainbow Trout fishing, both during the open water and ice fishing seasons. Trolling is a very popular method of fishing the lake. Although known for it's cold water fisheries, Lake Francis produces some large Chain Pickerel which may be overlooked by the Trout and Salmon anglers.
Southernmost in the chain of Connecticut Lakes is the man-made Lake Francis. Built in the 1930s as an Army Corps of Engineers project for flood control, Lake Francis and its impoundment, Murphy dam, are located just north of the village of Pittsburg. Murphy Dam is a 'tailwater' dam meaning its discharged water comes from a depth in the lake keeping river water cool all summer and providing excellent trout habitat. There are two public boat launches on this lake; one along Rte 3 and another on River Rd. Lake Francis is home to Brook, brown, rainbow, and lake trout as well as landlocked salmon. Fishing season opens on the lake April 1 and extends to September 30th. Ice fishing season is January 1 until March 31st. Daily limits: Lake trout, 2 fish over 18". Daily bag limit for lake trout and salmon is 2 fish (2 lake trout, two salmon, or 1 of each) Salmon, 2 fish over 15" Trout, open water, 5 fish or five pounds whichever is reached first. Through the ice, 2 fish. No length limit. Directions: Lake Francis State Park is located off US 3, 7 miles north of Pittsburgh. Turn right (south) onto River Road and travel about 1.5 miles to the park. There is a covered bridge midway between the park and US 3. Lake Francis State Park encompasses 38 acres along the shores of the 2,051-acre Lake Francis. This northern New Hampshire campground and picnic facility is enjoyed mid-May through mid-December. The area attracts fishermen, hunters, winter sports enthusiasts, large game watchers and bird watchers. A small visitor center and nature trail are located in the park.
Lake Francis is a reservoir on the Connecticut River in northern New Hampshire. The lake is located in Coos County, east of the village of Pittsburg and along the boundary between the towns of Pittsburg and Clarksville. The lake, impounded by Murphy Dam, covers nearly 2,000 acres (8 km²).