Local Waters
Exeter River (Pickpocket Dam)
Exeter / Brentwood, NH · about 30 min from Portsmouth (typical, off-peak)
The seacoast trout river with a named public dam lot.
Salt River / stream Lake / pond Shop (desk) Guide only Parking Stay State access Private — ask first
- Season
- NH general-law streams are open Jan 1–Oct 15. Wild trout streams close Labor Day. Confirm the digest for this water. Official rule
- License
- New Hampshire freshwater license
- Park
- Signed public at Pickpocket Dam. Gilman Park in Exeter is a second town lot downstream — stay off closed fishway water.
- Walk in
- Short from the dam lot.
- Wading
- Small river. Respect the closed dam zone.
- Usual window
- Spring and fall. Summer skinny.
- Tuesday conditions
-
W 2 mph around dawn. Fine to go.
- Sky
- ⛅ 78° partly
- Sun and moon
- Rise 5:59 · 🌔 Waxing gibbous · Set 7:33
- Wind at dawn
- W 2 mph · Sunny · 54°F
- Wind later
-
- dawn: W 2 mph
- 10am: W 6 mph
- 2pm: W 8 mph
- dusk: W 6 mph
- Flow
- 4.5 cfs · 3.93 ft · 1:15 am · EXETER RIVER AT HAIGH ROAD, NEAR BRENTWOOD, NH · USGS gauge
- A setup that belongs here
- 4-wt, nymphs and dries.
- Notes
- NHFG specials. Closed in the fishway radius. Winter C&R artificials on the marked stretch. Confirm the digest.
Closed water at the fishway. Read the signs.
Log this trip
Stays on this phone only. Nobody else sees it.
Shops
Guides
Shop desks, plus a few independents who fish public water. We do not take a cut. Call them.
Eldredge Bros. — seacoast
Cape Neddick, ME · shore / wade · Half or full day — ask the shop
Good for: York, Hampton, first Maine striper, seacoast trout
The southern Maine / NH seacoast desk. Call before you hire anyone off Instagram.