Squam Lake

State: New Hampshire. Type: lake in the Lakes Region, spanning Grafton, Carroll and Belknap counties. 6,791 acres, the second-largest lake located entirely within New Hampshire. Maximum depth 99 feet. Bordering towns: Holderness, Sandwich, Moultonborough and Center Harbor. Filming location for the 1981 movie "On Golden Pond."

Squam Lake sits northwest of the much larger Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire's Lakes Region, bordered by the towns of Holderness, Sandwich, Moultonborough and Center Harbor. At 6,791 acres it is the second-largest lake located entirely within New Hampshire, stretching up to 7 miles long and 4.6 miles wide with a maximum depth of 99 feet. The lake's name has shifted over centuries: it was originally called Keeseenunknipee by Indigenous residents, shortened by settlers to variants like "Casumpa" around 1779, then rendered as "Asquam" (meaning "water") in the early 1800s before being further shortened to Squam in the early 1900s. Squam gained wider fame as the filming location for the 1981 film "On Golden Pond," shot in the town of Center Harbor on the lake. Today it remains an important habitat for nesting common loons, along with bald eagles and great blue herons, and supports fisheries including rainbow trout, landlocked salmon, lake trout, and bass. The Squam Lakes Natural Science Center and boat tour operators such as Experience Squam offer visitors a way to see the lake's film locations and natural features up close.

Squam Lake lies in New Hampshire's Lakes Region, crossing parts of Grafton, Carroll and Belknap counties, and is bordered by the towns of Holderness (the largest town center on the lake), Sandwich, Moultonborough and Center Harbor. The Squam Lakes Association's visitor office is at 534 US Route 3, Holderness, NH.

The Lakes Region has a four-season New England climate, with warm, humid summers suited to swimming and boating and cold winters that freeze the lake for ice fishing and other winter activities. Specific temperature and precipitation averages for the immediate Squam Lake area were not confirmed in sources used and should be checked with the National Weather Service before travel.

Summer (June through August) is the main season for swimming, boating, and lake tours, when water temperatures and weather are most favorable for on-water activities. Fall foliage season is popular for lake cruises given the surrounding mountain scenery, while loon-watching is best during the birds' nesting season in the warmer months. Specific month-by-month recommendations beyond general seasonal patterns were not confirmed in sources used.

Squam Lake's name has evolved through several stages: Indigenous residents knew it as Keeseenunknipee, meaning "the goose lake in the highlands," which settlers shortened to variants such as "Casumpa" around 1779. The Abenaki-derived name "Asquam," meaning simply "water," came into use in the early 1800s before being shortened further to "Squam" in the early 1900s. The lake's most famous moment in popular culture came in 1981, when the film "On Golden Pond," starring Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn, was filmed in the town of Center Harbor on Squam Lake, cementing the lake's association with quiet, loon-filled New England lake scenery in the wider public imagination.

Canoeing and kayaking are popular given the lake's islands and coves, with rentals available through the Squam Lakes Association. Guided boat tours, including those from Experience Squam, highlight the lake's "On Golden Pond" filming locations and natural scenery. Hiking is available on nearby trails such as Rattlesnake Mountain, and the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center offers wildlife exhibits and programming on the surrounding area's ecology. Fishing for species such as rainbow trout, landlocked salmon, lake trout, smallmouth and largemouth bass, and white perch is popular on the lake.

The Squam Lakes Natural Science Center, near the lake in Holderness, is a key stop for wildlife and nature exhibits. Rattlesnake Mountain, a popular nearby hiking destination, offers views over the lake. The lake's various islands and coves, often highlighted on guided boat tours, are a draw for their connection to "On Golden Pond" and their scenic, undeveloped character.

Squam Lake is most easily reached by car via US Route 3 or I-93 to Holderness, in New Hampshire's Lakes Region. There is no commercial airport directly on the lake; Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, roughly 1.5 to 2 hours south, is the nearest larger airport, requiring a rental car for the drive north.

The Squam Lakes Association's office, which handles boat rentals and visitor information, was listed as open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., as of research. The lake itself has no set opening hours as a natural body of water, though individual attractions like the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center and guided boat tours run their own seasonal schedules that should be checked directly.

There is no general admission fee to Squam Lake itself; costs apply to specific services such as canoe/kayak rentals through the Squam Lakes Association, guided boat tours, and admission to the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center, each priced separately by the operator. Specific current rental and tour prices were not confirmed in sources used and should be checked directly with each operator.

A half-day is enough for a guided boat tour or a paddle in one of the lake's coves; a full day or multi-day stay is common for visitors combining boating, hiking at Rattlesnake Mountain, and a visit to the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center.

Holderness and the surrounding Lakes Region towns of Sandwich, Moultonborough and Center Harbor offer a range of lakeside inns, cottages and vacation rentals typical of New Hampshire's lake-country tourism economy; specific properties were not confirmed in sources used and are intentionally omitted.

Holderness and neighboring lake towns have a mix of casual and sit-down dining reflecting the area's lake-tourism economy, though specific restaurant names were not confirmed in the sources used for this destination and are intentionally left out.

Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire's largest lake, lies just southeast of Squam Lake and offers a larger-scale lakes-region destination for visitors extending their trip. Rattlesnake Mountain and the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center are both easily combined with a lake visit.

Manchester-Boston Regional Airport is the nearest larger commercial airport, roughly 1.5 to 2 hours south by car; there is no direct rail or transit service to the lake, so a personal or rental vehicle is the practical way to visit.

Standard lake-safety precautions apply: wear a life jacket while boating or paddling, especially given the lake's size (up to 7 miles long) and the possibility of wind and chop developing quickly. Be mindful of nesting loons and other wildlife, giving them distance as advised by conservation groups active on the lake. For any emergency, dial 911.

A life jacket (required or strongly recommended for boating and paddling), sun protection, and binoculars for birdwatching, particularly for spotting nesting loons, bald eagles or great blue herons. A change of clothes and water shoes are useful for swimming or wading at access points.

Booking a guided boat tour in advance is worthwhile in peak summer season, since operators like Experience Squam can fill up. Renting a canoe or kayak through the Squam Lakes Association is a low-cost way to explore the lake's islands and coves independently. Pairing a lake visit with a hike up Rattlesnake Mountain or a stop at the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center rounds out a day trip.

Dial 911 for any emergency. The Squam Lakes Association can be reached at (603) 968-7336 for boating, camping and trail-related visitor questions.

Squam Lakes Association - https://squamlakes.org

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.