Ossipee Lake
Large Lake Of About 3,000 Acres (Confirm) East Of Lake Winnipesaukee, With Sandy Shallows And Bays Popular For Summer Boating, Including A Well Known Raft Up Area On Summer Weekends (Confirm Current Rules), And The State'S Ossipee Lake Natural Area With Pitch Pine Barrens (Confirm Access). · Ossipee, New Hampshire
A large lake of about 3,000 acres (confirm) in the towns of Ossipee and Freedom, east of Lake Winnipesaukee and south of the White Mountains, fed by the Pine and Bearcamp rivers and draining east toward Maine by the Ossipee River. The main lake joins a chain of smaller bays, Broad, Leavitt and Berry bays (confirm names), and much of the bottom is sand, so the water is shallow and warm along many shores. That makes it a summer boating lake above all: on July and August weekends powerboats, pontoons and jet skis gather at sandy shallows, and one well-known area on the north side draws boats that tie up together in large raft-ups, with music and swimming; rules on use have been debated and changed (confirm current rules). The shore is mostly private camps, campgrounds and homes, and public access is limited to a state boat ramp and a few small spots (confirm). On the north side the state's Ossipee Lake Natural Area protects sand plain and pitch pine barrens, rare in New England. Weekdays and September are far calmer.
NH Route 25 (Ossipee Lake Road), Ossipee, New Hampshire, 03864, United States
The lake itself is open all year. The state boat ramp is generally usable from ice-out in April or May until freeze-up in December, dawn to dusk (confirm any hours or parking rules). The Ossipee Lake Natural Area has at times limited landing and use of its beach to protect the dunes and plants (confirm current rules and any seasonal closures). Private marinas, boat rentals and campgrounds on the lake generally open from about mid-May to mid-October. In winter the lake is used for ice fishing and snowmobiling when the ice is safe; there are no services on the ice.