Squam Lake

Infobox lake
lake_name = Squam Lake
image_lake = SquamLake.jpg
caption_lake = View from the cliffs of East Rattlesnake
image_bathymetry =
caption_bathymetry =
location = Grafton County, Carroll County, and Belknap County, New Hampshire
coords = coord|43|44|43|N|71|31|34|W|type:waterbody_region:US-NH|display=inline,title
type =
inflow =
outflow = Squam River
catchment =
basin_countries = United States
length = convert|7.0|mi|abbr=on
width = convert|4.6|mi|abbr=on
area = convert|6791|acre|abbr=on
depth =
max-depth =
volume =
residence_time =
shore =
elevation = convert|561|ft|abbr=on
islands = 28 named ("see list")
cities = Holderness; Sandwich; Moultonborough; Center Harbor

Squam Lake is a lake located in central New Hampshire, USA, south of the White Mountains, straddling the borders of Grafton, Carroll, and Belknap Counties. The largest town center on the lake is Holderness. The lake is located northwest of much larger Lake Winnipesaukee.

It drains via a short natural channel into Little Squam Lake, and then through a dam at the head of the short Squam River into the Pemigewasset at Ashland. Covering 6,791 acres (27.5 km²) [ [http://www.granit.sr.unh.edu New Hampshire GRANIT database] ] , Squam is the second-largest lake located entirely in New Hampshire.

Squam Lake was originally called Keeseenunknipee, which meant "the goose lake in the highlands". The white settlers that followed shortened the name to Casumpa, Kusumpy and/or Kesumpe around 1779. In the early 1800s, the lake was given another Abenaki name, Asquam, which means "water". Finally, in the early 1900s, Asquam was shortened to its present version, Squam.

The 1981 film "On Golden Pond" was filmed on Squam Lake. There are two tour boat outfits on the lake, both based in Holderness, that will show visitors where all the filming locations are situated.

Squam Lake is a nesting site for Common Loons and is a good place to see them in breeding plumage during the summer months.

Islands

Squam Lake has 28 named islands and numerous smaller, unnamed islets. The named islands are:

* Basin Island
* Birch Island
* Bowman Island
* Chocorua (Church) Island
* Duck Island
* Great Island
* Groton Island
* High Haith (largest island on Squam; 243 acres)
* Hoag Island
* Hubble Island
* Kate Island
* Kent Island
* Kimball Island
* Laurel Island
* Little Loon Island
* Long Island
* Loon Island
* Merrill Island
* Mink Island
* Mooney Island
* Mouse Island
* Otter Island
* Perch Island
* Potato Island
* Sheep Island
* Three Sisters
* Utopia Island
* Yard Island [ [http://geonames.usgs.gov/domestic/index.html U.S. Board on Geographic Names: Geographic Names Information System] ]

References

External links

*gnis|872720