Squam to Winni?
 

Is it possible to get to Winnipesaukee from the Water St launch on Winnisquam? Thank you.

Dam
 

You can't get past the Lakeport Dam, I believe.

Depends on what kind of boat it is. A traditional boat and motor motor combo would probably be a no unless you can carry it over / get around two dams. A kayak style boat would maybe be a maybe. I'm unsure how difficult the portage is around the two dams is. One dam is in downtown Laconia and essentially holds up Lake Opechee and then the larger one in Lakeport that holds up Winnipesaukee.

downstream?
 

So, you could, with your life insurance paid up, go downstream from Winnipesaukee to Winnisquam?

Sure! And if that works out for you, you could go over Niagara Falls in a barrel too! ;)

Google 'Seattle sports cart' ..... it is a canoe/kayak trolley with large wheels that weighs 15-lbs, costs $150, that is very good at what it does and can easily be carried inside the canoe while paddling.

With one of these Seattle sports carts, two paddlers could move a 17' Grumman aluminum canoe that weighs 75-lbs, plus a small 2-hp outboard (40-lbs), and paddles, gear, and food around both dams ... and have a good motor and canoe safe enough for these large lakes.

With two strong paddlers, rolling along this canoe trolley under a sturdy 17' Grumman and gear, all weighing in at 200-lbs or less, for a distance of
100-300 yards is reasonable to do especially if you make a practice roll, trial run.

The Avery Dam is down stream from Lake Opechee, and just below it there's a well constructed concrete ramp designed for putting canoes into the Winnipesaukee River, there, on the downtown street close to Sawyer's Jewelry store.

The Lakeport Dam at the outflow of Winnipesaukee is easier because it has a 100-yard long dirt, walking path along side the outflow.

So, it's definitely doable in a kayak/canoe/stand up paddle board. The overhead clearance under the six or so different bridges on the Winnipesaukee River in Laconia is low, at three feet is just enough for a canoe.

The Winnipesaukee River is a mix of urban and suburban with green grass embankments, trees, homes, old stone embankments, and industrial businesses like a metal forge, and a huge car business ..... is very clean .... bass/trout present depending on water temp, time of year .... and is a class 1, slow flow type of a river except for a couple weeks in April, usually, when the current is much faster.

........

For a little entertainment, get a big 4-dollar box of Cheez-its original flavor, and have some fun spinning them out to the ducks and geese along the river, all totally love the taste, and probably never ate a Cheez-it before. As you may not know, Cheez-its are bright orange, will float, and can be tossed 15-30', just like a Frisbee!

haha comedians. That sucks though, oh well. Thanks guys!

Only if you are an energetic fish!

Perfectly safe if you have your noodle belt on. ;)

Welllllll, from someone who has stayed at the 'O' and watched all the turkey vultures gobbling up all the chopped eel that go through the hydro generators in that dam (I believe that's what they have under there) ,,, my guess is you can do it,,, but we will have to call you 'Chum' from now on. :)

I have done some fun canoe camping trips in backwoods Canada (like NH, but no mountains and a million more loons and moose). A 100 yard portage really isn't that big of a deal with a canoe on your back like people have done for centuries- it's when you start getting over 500km that they start to get annoying! :laugh:

I mean, I wouldn't carry the canoe and backpack gear at the same time (I don't think you're supposed to), but am an average sized woman and managed just fine for ~100 yards distances. They're really designed to be carried by one person, like this. I can't say we ever bothered with an outboard and stuff though.