While New Hampshire doesn’t have a ton of coastline, striper anglers can find feeding bass in the surf in the spring and fall.
With 18 miles of coastline, New Hampshire has the most limited ocean access of any state in the nation. That means that traveling striper anglers stopping in New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts often over look its beaches.
The same large schools of big stripers that are pushing past Massachusetts and up to Maine, and then back again, are swimming by New Hampshire. It can be a relatively uncrowded place to target them.
You could say, what New Hampshire anglers lack in miles of coastline, they make up for with secrecy.
Not to spill the beans, but an angler landed a 60-pound striper right here. That’s not bad for a state with the country’s shortest coastline.
To make this guide easier to use, we’ll divvy up our chosen spots into those near Hampton on the south end of New Hampshire’s coastline (closer to Massachusetts) and those closer to Portsmouth and the Maine border.
Now, go check out these beaches and other spots for Granite State surf stripers.
Best Striper Fishing Near Hampton
Seabrook Beach
On July 20, 2023, a young angler took a 49-inch striped bass fishing off of Seabrook Beach, and the fish made headlines.
Stripers that get near or surpass the 50-inch mark are rare and anywhere you’ve got a record of one being caught is worth at least a few more casts.
The beach, sitting just north of Massachusetts, is mostly long stretches of sand. That makes it a fairly easy piece of sand to work from a surfcasting standpoint.
However, rip currents have claimed lives there, so be extra careful.
Chunks of mackerel are a particularly popular bait in New Hampshire.
Access: Street parking is your best option for Seabrook Beach.
Hampton Beach State Park
Right across the border from Massachusetts, Hampton Beach State Park is a striper magnet for a host of reasons.
First, you’ve got the Hampton and Blackwater rivers, which join and dump into the Atlantic Ocean right at the beach, a natural draw for baitfish and any anadromous species.
Second, the Hampton Beach Jetty is at the river’s mouth. Any time you’ve got an influx of freshwater into the ocean, especially around structure like a jetty, it’s a striped bass magnet.
This beach is one of the most popular for surfcasters in the state and produces some of the biggest stripers caught from the state’s beaches every year, according to New Hampshire Fish and Game.
Focus your efforts on the last two hours before high tide, plus the first hour after, and concentrate on the area right around the jetty.
Chunks of mackerel are also popular at this beach.
Access: State Park Road leads from Ocean Boulevard to a paid public lot at Hampton Beach State Park.
Blackwater River
If you’re already at Hampton Beach State Park facing the ocean, turn inland.
The Blackwater River is a roughly three-mile-long tidal river that empties into the Atlantic at Hampton Beach after forming in Massachusetts and flowing north.
The stretch from Hampton Beach through Seabrook Beach can be productive for schoolie stripers, especially in the spring.
Here again, mackerel is a favorite bait.
Canoers or kayakers will find that the series of small tidal creeks that flow into the Blackwater before it empties into the Atlantic is particularly promising.
Near the mouth of the river, Eastman’s Docks offer a host of charter boats and some restaurants, but you can park here and fish from shore or launch a canoe or kayak to fish the river near the docks.
There also is shore fishing access from the Rte. 286 bridge, just inside the state line.
Be sure to time your trip with the tides. The river is best fished from about three hours before high tide until an hour or two afterward.
Access: The Hampton Beach State Park parking area is near the intersection of State Park Road and Ocean Boulevard in Hampton Beach, which puts your right where the river empties into the Atlantic. A few miles to the south, shore anglers can fish the higher tides at the Rte. 286 bridge.
North Beach
Last but not least, for this southern group of striper spots, North Beach is a long stretch of sand and rock that runs along Hampton’s coast, north of Hampton and Seabrook beaches.
This mile-long beach gives anglers a relatively decent stretch to work, and here again, chunked mackerel is a popular option.
Fish the high tide here, especially in a west wind, which could put schools of bunker in close to the shore. The stripers will be right behind these baitfish.
Access: There is metered parking available right off Ocean Boulevard, with rates varying from free to a dollar or two per hour, depending on the season.
Best Striper Fishing Near Portsmouth
Rye Harbor
Rye Harbor is a striper angler’s dream. It is a harbor enclosed by not one but two jetties.
Stripers will push bait into the harbor and up against the jetties, and if you time it right, the action can be fast and furious.
Your best bet is to time it to catch an early-morning incoming tide. If you can find a situation where the harbor is filling up just as the sun rises, you’ve got a great shot at schooling stripers.
Access: There are modest charges for most admissions and seasonally for parking. See the Rye Harbor Park State Park website for details.
Odiorne Point State Park
Right at the mouth of the Piscataqua River near the Maine border, Odiorne Point State Park has all the makings of great striper water.
The influx of freshwater from the Piscataqua almost guarantees bait will be present, and the jetty where the river dumps into the Atlantic provides structure for stripers and bluefish to ambush said bait.
There’s even a science center and playground if you’ve got little fisher kid in tow.
Access: Off Ocean Boulevard (Rte. 1A), a public parking lot in Odiorne Point State Park is near the beach.
Great Island Common (Piscataqua River Mouth)
From Great Island Common Park in New Castle, you’re about two long casts away from Maine waters.
The Piscataqua River, which flows by the park, separates Maine from New Hampshire. Islands like Gooseberry Island, Clark’s Island, and yes, Fishing Island give stripers the structure they need at the mouth of the river to ambush bait.
The adjacent Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse provides a scenic backdrop. Park rules mandate that fishing is only allowed from the jetty during the summer season, but anglers also can fish from the beach before mid-May and after mid-October.
Access: Tabbutt Memorial Way off Wentworth Road in New Castle Island circles through the Great Island Common Park.
Scammell Bridge
Especially in the spring, striped bass will flood into the Piscataqua River and the connecting Great Bay, cornering bait and gorging to fuel the migration.
This bridge takes Piscataqua Road (Route 4) over the Bellamy River, a small tributary into the estuary that brings feeding stripers right under it.
NH Fish and Game maintains parking lots at the bridge’s western end, less than two miles from the Maine border.
Chunking mackerel is the most popular option for anglers on the bridge. However, fishing topwater poppers at first light or bucktails after dark while schools of stripers and bluefish push bait in the spring can be equally effective.
Access: A parking lot is on the bridge’s northwest side.
Catch More Stripers
Be sure to check out my full guide to striper fishing from shore, including some of my favorite lures for surfcasting.
Ready to branch out? Find more stripers just to the south in Massachusetts or just to the north in Maine.
Summary
Despite a relatively short stretch of the state with an Atlantic coastline, New Hampshire has some promising bays, rivers, jetties, and beaches that are sure to hold schools of blitzing stripers every spring and fall.
We hope this guide helps you find yours.