![First_Connecticut_Lake_in_August_2019](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/First_Connecticut_Lake_in_August_2019.jpg)
The Connecticut Lakes are a group of lakes in
Coos County, northern
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, situated along the headwaters of the
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Island ...
. They are accessed via the northernmost segment of
U.S. Route 3
U.S. Route 3 (US 3) is a United States highway running from Cambridge, Massachusetts, through New Hampshire, to the Canada–US border near Third Connecticut Lake, where it connects to Quebec Route 257.
Massachusetts Route 3 connects to ...
, between the village of
Pittsburg and the
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
port of entry south of
Chartierville, Quebec. The lakes are located within the boundaries of Pittsburg, but are far from the town center.
Connecticut Lakes State Forest
Connecticut Lakes State Forest is a state forest in the town of Pittsburg, New Hampshire, in the United States. The forest forms a narrow strip on either side of U.S. Route 3, running south from the Canadian border around Third and south past ...
adjoins them.
There are four lakes: First, Second, Third and Fourth Connecticut Lake, numerically running south to north. The lakes decrease in size and increase in elevation, sequentially from first to fourth. The fourth lake is the source of the Connecticut River. The first three lakes can be viewed and accessed from U.S. Route 3, while the only access to the fourth lake is via the
Fourth Connecticut Lake Trail, which goes in and out of Canada. All lakes are north of the
45th parallel.
Lake Francis lies to the south of the four Connecticut Lakes. It is a man-made
reservoir
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
and the last of the major lakes along the Connecticut River in northern New Hampshire.
The lakes
First Connecticut Lake
First Connecticut Lake is located in the town of
Pittsburg, northeast of the village center.
[ At ,] it is the eighth-largest lake located entirely in New Hampshire. It is the lowest in elevation and largest in surface area of the four Connecticut Lakes.
Fish species include landlocked salmon
The Atlantic salmon (''Salmo salar'') is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Salmonidae. It is the third largest of the Salmonidae, behind Siberian taimen and Pacific Chinook salmon, growing up to a meter in length. Atlantic salmon ar ...
and lake trout
The lake trout (''Salvelinus namaycush'') is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, namaycush, lake char (or charr), touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, it can also ...
. The lake has average and maximum depths of and , respectively. There are three public boat launch locations,[ and ]ice fishing
Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice fishers may fish in the open or in heated enclosures, some with bunks and amenities.
Shelters
Longe ...
is permitted from January through March. Outflow of the lake into the Connecticut River is controlled via the First Lake Dam,[ located near U.S. Route 3 at the southwestern shore.
A marker along the southwestern shore of the lake commemorates Luther Parker, a historical figure of the ]Republic of Indian Stream
The Republic of Indian Stream or Indian Stream Republic was an unrecognized republic in North America, along the section of the border that divides the current Canadian province of Quebec from the U.S. state of New Hampshire. It existed from July ...
in the 1830s.
Second Connecticut Lake
Second Connecticut Lake, known in the past as Lake Carmel, is a water body in the town of Pittsburg, northeast of the village center.[ The second lake is higher in elevation than the first lake, and shallower.
Fish species include ]brook trout
The brook trout (''Salvelinus fontinalis'') is a species of freshwater fish in the char genus ''Salvelinus'' of the salmon family Salmonidae. It is native to Eastern North America in the United States and Canada, but has been introduced elsewhere ...
, landlocked salmon
The Atlantic salmon (''Salmo salar'') is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Salmonidae. It is the third largest of the Salmonidae, behind Siberian taimen and Pacific Chinook salmon, growing up to a meter in length. Atlantic salmon ar ...
, and lake trout
The lake trout (''Salvelinus namaycush'') is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, namaycush, lake char (or charr), touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, it can also ...
. There is one public boat launch location,[ and ]ice fishing
Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice fishers may fish in the open or in heated enclosures, some with bunks and amenities.
Shelters
Longe ...
is permitted from January through March. Outflow of the lake into the Connecticut River is controlled via the Second Lake Dam,[ located near U.S. Route 3 at the southwestern shore.
]
Third Connecticut Lake
Third Connecticut Lake, at one time known as Lake St. Sophia, is a water body in the town of Pittsburg, situated northeast of the village center,[ and less than south of the ]Canadian border
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
. It reaches a maximum depth of approximately , and sits higher in elevation than the second lake.
Fish species include rainbow trout
The rainbow trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') is a species of trout native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead (sometimes called "steelhead trout") is an anadromous (sea-run) form of the coasta ...
and lake trout
The lake trout (''Salvelinus namaycush'') is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, namaycush, lake char (or charr), touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, it can also ...
.[ There is one public boat launch location,][ off of U.S. Route 3 along the eastern shore of the lake. ]Ice fishing
Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice fishers may fish in the open or in heated enclosures, some with bunks and amenities.
Shelters
Longe ...
is permitted from January through March.
Fourth Connecticut Lake
Fourth Connecticut Lake is the northernmost and most remote of the Connecticut Lakes; it is also the smallest, at . It is the source of the Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Island ...
, and is situated in the town of Pittsburg, upstream from and higher than Third Connecticut Lake. The fourth lake is immediately to the northwest of the third lake. The Fourth Connecticut Lake Trail leads hikers to the lake.
Fourth Connecticut Lake Trail
The Fourth Connecticut Lake Trail is a public trail maintained by The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US.
Founded in 1951, The Natu ...
that criss-crosses the international border between New Hampshire and Quebec for ending with a loop around the Fourth Connecticut Lake. It is one of the few international trails in North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
. The land surrounding the lake is owned by The Nature Conservancy.
The parking area for hikers is at the American facility of the Pittsburg–Chartierville Border Crossing, located north of the Pittsburg town center via U.S. Route 3.[ The trail begins about to the right of the American building, with a small kiosk at the trailhead.]
The trail has no cell phone coverage, requires some non-technical climbing, and starts at a good elevation—hikers should be prepared, even in summer. Pets are not allowed on the trail, and no camping, hunting, or fishing is allowed.[
For persons starting in the United States, ]passport
A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that contains a person's identity. A person with a passport can travel to and from foreign countries more easily and access consular assistance. A passport certifies the personal ...
s are not needed to hike the trail, as even though parts of the trail are in Canada, the trail starts and ends on the American side of the international border. For persons starting in Canada, a passport or other border crossing document would be required in order to enter the United States at the border facility before hiking the trail.
Connecticut Lakes Natural Area
The surrounding the lakes was set aside as a land conservation project in 2002 by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department (NHF&G) is a department within the government of New Hampshire in the United States. The Fish and Game Department manages New Hampshire's fish, game, and aquatic plant resources.
Structure
The Department ...
. The protected area is within the towns of Clarksville and Pittsburg, up to the border with Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
.New Hampshire Wildlife Management Areas
. Wildlife.state.nh.us. Retrieved on 2013-08-21.
See also
*List of lakes in New Hampshire
This is a list of lakes and ponds in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services lists 944 lakes and impoundments in their ''Official List of Public Waters''. The water bodies that are listed include nat ...
References
External links
Summer at First Connecticut Lake in Pittsburg, NH Aerial view in 4K
via YouTube
4th Connecticut Lake - US/Canada Border Hike
via YouTube
The Crumbling, Leaking Dam at the first Connecticut Lake
via YouTube
{{Authority control
Lake groups of the United States
Lakes of Coös County, New Hampshire
Pittsburg, New Hampshire
Connecticut River
New Hampshire placenames of Native American origin