Squam Lake

Squam Lake is a lake in the Lakes Region of central New Hampshire, northwest of Lake Winnipesaukee. It straddles Grafton, Carroll and Belknap counties. It covers 6,791 acres, is 7.0 miles long and up to 4.6 miles wide, and reaches a maximum depth of 99 feet. It is the second-largest lake located entirely in New Hampshire. Holderness is the largest town center on the lake, and Sandwich, Moultonborough and Center Harbor also border it. The lake has about 62 miles of shoreline and about 30 named islands. It drains through a short natural channel into Little Squam Lake, then through a dam at the head of the Squam River, which flows into the Pemigewasset River at Ashland. The dam is owned by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, which lowers the lake every fall.

The Squam Lakes Association (SLA) maintains four boat-launching sites on the lake. The Squam Lakes Assn. Ramp at the SLA headquarters on Route 3 in Holderness allows boats of 25 horsepower or less and charges non-members a parking fee. Boats over 25 horsepower launch at the Route 113 launch in Holderness, the Squam Lakes Boat Access Facility. The SLA cove is a no-wake zone. Most of the land around the lake is private. Moon Island, Bowman Island, Chamberlain-Reynolds Memorial Forest and Five Finger Point are open for public use.

The lake is a cold- and warmwater fishery, with species including lake trout, landlocked salmon, rainbow trout and smallmouth and largemouth bass. It is also a nesting site for common loons. The 1981 film On Golden Pond was filmed on Squam Lake.