Chocorua Lake is a picturesque lake

Lake

A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...

 in northeast New Hampshire

New Hampshire

New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...

 with commanding views of the summit of Mount Chocorua

Mount Chocorua

Mount Chocorua is a summit in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. At an elevation of it is the easternmost peak of the Sandwich Range....

. It is approximately 1.1 miles (1.8 km) long (north-south) with a maximum width of 3,500 ft (1.1 km) (east-west), covering 222 acres (890,000 m²), with a maximum depth of 27 feet (8.2 meters).

The lake is most noted for its serene setting with little or no development surrounding it and for its stunning views of the bald face summit of Mount Chocorua.

Geography

Chocorua Lake, also commonly called Lake Chocorua, is located in east-central New Hampshire in the town of Tamworth, New Hampshire

Tamworth, New Hampshire

Tamworth is a town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,856 at the 2010 census. Tamworth includes the villages of Chocorua, South Tamworth, Wonalancet, and Whittier. The White Mountain National Forest is to the north...

. It is located in the Ossipee Lake

Ossipee Lake

Ossipee Lake is located in Carroll County in eastern New Hampshire, in the communities of Ossipee and Freedom. At 3,245 acres, it is the sixth-largest lake located entirely in New Hampshire. The lake is fed by the West Branch , the Bearcamp and Lovell rivers , and the Pine River...

 watershed

Drainage basin

A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...

 south of the White Mountains

White Mountains (New Hampshire)

The White Mountains are a mountain range covering about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine in the United States. Part of the Appalachian Mountains, they are considered the most rugged mountains in New England...

 region. The watershed is 13.2 square miles (34.2 km²) of mostly protected forest under the management of the United States Forest Service

United States Forest Service

The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...

. The main inflow

Inflow (hydrology)

In hydrology, the inflow of a body of water is the source of the water in the body of water. It can also refer to the average volume of incoming water in unit time. It is contrasted with outflow....

 into the lake is the Chocorua River

Chocorua River

The Chocorua River is a river located in eastern New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Bearcamp River, part of the Ossipee Lake / Saco River watershed leading to the Atlantic Ocean....

 from the north, which drains the south side of Mount Chocorua. Stratton Brook flows into the west side of the lake. The lake's outflow

Discharge (hydrology)

In hydrology, discharge is the volume rate of water flow, including any suspended solids , dissolved chemical species and/or biologic material , which is transported through a given cross-sectional area...

 is to the south, through Little Chocorua Lake then through a dam

Dam

A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...

 outfall into the Chocorua River. (Though the lake has a dammed outlet, it is a natural lake, not a reservoir

Reservoir

A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...

, with the dam serving to maintain the water level of the lake at 574 feet above sea level

Sea level

Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...

.) The water from the Chocorua Lake outfall and the Chocorua River eventually reaches the Bearcamp River

Bearcamp River

The Bearcamp River is a 26.3 mile long river at the southern edge of the White Mountains in New Hampshire, the United States. It is the largest tributary of Ossipee Lake, part of the Saco River watershed leading to the Atlantic Ocean....

 and enters Ossipee Lake

Ossipee Lake

Ossipee Lake is located in Carroll County in eastern New Hampshire, in the communities of Ossipee and Freedom. At 3,245 acres, it is the sixth-largest lake located entirely in New Hampshire. The lake is fed by the West Branch , the Bearcamp and Lovell rivers , and the Pine River...

, then the Saco River

Saco River

The Saco River is a river in northeastern New Hampshire and southwestern Maine in the United States. It drains a rural area of of forests and farmlands west and southwest of Portland, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at Saco Bay, from its source. It supplies drinking water to roughly 250,000...

 and finally the Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

 on the coast of Maine

Maine

Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...

.

Recreation

Swimming, canoeing

Canoeing

Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....

, kayaking

Kayaking

Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking and canoeing are also known as paddling. Kayaking is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle...

, and fishing

Fishing

Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

 are popular recreation activities on the lake. Outboard motor

Outboard motor

An outboard motor is a propulsion system for boats, consisting of a self-contained unit that includes engine, gearbox and propeller or jet drive, designed to be affixed to the outside of the transom and are the most common motorized method of propelling small watercraft...

s of any kind are prohibited from using the lake. In addition, campfire

Campfire

A campfire is a fire lit at a campsite, to serve the following functions: light, warmth, a beacon, a bug and/or apex predator deterrent, to cook, and for a psychological sense of security. In established campgrounds they are usually in a fire ring for safety. Campfires are a popular feature of...

s and cooking fires of any kind are prohibited from the shore of the lake. Canoe

Canoe

A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...

 and kayak

Kayak

A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...

 access is available from The Grove off of New Hampshire Route 16

New Hampshire Route 16

New Hampshire Route 16 is a long north–south highway in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Much of its length is close to the border with Maine. NH 16 is the main route from the Seacoast region north to the Lakes Region and the White Mountains. The section from Portsmouth to Milton is a...

 on the east side of the lake, and from the road near the bridge on the south end of the lake. There are beaches accessible from Route 16 on the east side of the lake. In addition, there are many hiking trails around the lake; most notable are the trails leading to the summit of Mount Chocorua just north of the lake.

Wildlife

Fish species that live in Chocorua Lake include brook trout

Brook trout

The brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, is a species of fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. In many parts of its range, it is known as the speckled trout or squaretail. A potamodromous population in Lake Superior are known as coaster trout or, simply, as coasters...

, smallmouth bass

Smallmouth bass

The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...

, black bullhead

Black bullhead

The black bullhead, Ameiurus melas, is a species of bullhead catfish. Like other bullhead catfish, it has the ability to thrive in waters that are low in oxygen, brackish, turbid and/or very warm. It also has barbels located near its mouth, a broad head, spiny fins and no scales...

, yellow perch

Yellow perch

The yellow perch is a species of perch found in the United States and Canada, where it is often referred to by the shortform perch. Yellow perch look similar to the European perch, but are paler and more yellowish, with less red in the fins. They have six to eight dark, vertical bars on their sides...

, rainbow trout

Rainbow trout

The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....

 and catfish

Catfish

Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...

.

Bird species that live in or migrate through the vicinity include the bald eagle

Bald Eagle

The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...

, loon

Loon

The loons or divers are a group of aquatic birds found in many parts of North America and northern Eurasia...

, and osprey

Osprey

The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...

.

Water quality and environmental concerns

Chocorua Lake is a fragile lake due to how shallow it is. It has an average depth of 12 feet (3.7 m) and a maximum depth of 27 feet (8.2 m). Because of the lake's shallowness, sunlight reaches most of the water column. Therefore, even low concentrations of nutrient

Nutrient

A nutrient is a chemical that an organism needs to live and grow or a substance used in an organism's metabolism which must be taken in from its environment. They are used to build and repair tissues, regulate body processes and are converted to and used as energy...

s can cause plant life and algae to grow quickly. Due to development of the region and runoff

Surface runoff

Surface runoff is the water flow that occurs when soil is infiltrated to full capacity and excess water from rain, meltwater, or other sources flows over the land. This is a major component of the water cycle. Runoff that occurs on surfaces before reaching a channel is also called a nonpoint source...

 from New Hampshire Route 16, phosphorus

Phosphorus

Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. A multivalent nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus as a mineral is almost always present in its maximally oxidized state, as inorganic phosphate rocks...

 and other nutrients started showing up in the lake in higher concentrations. Algae

Algae

Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...

, lily pads

Nymphaeaceae

Nymphaeaceae is a family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called water lilies and live in freshwater areas in temperate and tropical climates around the world. The family contains eight genera. There are about 70 species of water lilies around the world. The genus...

, and other plant life grew at a rapid rate and caused the clarity

Water quality

Water quality is the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water. It is a measure of the condition of water relative to the requirements of one or more biotic species and or to any human need or purpose. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which...

 of the lake to decline. This can increase the risk of dead zones

Dead zone (ecology)

Dead zones are hypoxic areas in the world's oceans, the observed incidences of which have been increasing since oceanographers began noting them in the 1970s. These occur near inhabited coastlines, where aquatic life is most concentrated...

 to occur in the lake. The Chocorua Lake Association (CLA), the Environmental Protection Agency

United States Environmental Protection Agency

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...

 (EPA), the New Hampshire Department of Transportation

New Hampshire Department of Transportation

The State of New Hampshire Department of Transportation is a government agency of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The NHDOT is under the executive direction of Commissioner of Transportation George Campbell. The main office of the NHDOT is located in the J.O...

 (NHDOT), and the Town of Tamworth began what was called the "Berms and Swales Project" in September 2000 to build berm

Berm

A berm is a level space, shelf, or raised barrier separating two areas. Berm originates in the Middle Dutch and German berme and came into usage in English via French.- History :...

s, swales

Swale (geographical feature)

A swale is a low tract of land, especially one that is moist or marshy. The term can refer to a natural landscape feature or a human-created one...

, and other filtering devices to control runoff and to filter sediment

Sediment

Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....

s and nutrients. This critical work with the partnership among the various agencies has caused an 82% percent decline in phosphorus nutrients since 2000. This has been noted on the EPA website as one of its success stories.

Scenic beauty

The lake is surrounded by forests with very little visible human development. This provides a very natural setting that is rare to find around most lakes today due to houses, restaurants, hotels, and docks that surround most lakes. This is mostly due to the conservation easements written into the property deeds

Deed

A deed is any legal instrument in writing which passes, or affirms or confirms something which passes, an interest, right, or property and that is signed, attested, delivered, and in some jurisdictions sealed...

 of about 60 landowners that preserved the forested buffers that surround the lake.

Visible to the north of the lake is the stunning view of the bald face summit of Mount Chocorua

Mount Chocorua

Mount Chocorua is a summit in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. At an elevation of it is the easternmost peak of the Sandwich Range....

, which tops out at an elevation of 3,490 feet. On most days the mountain's reflection on the lake provides for spectacular photographs.