Paugus Bay Webcam – See Lake Winnipesaukee Boat Traffic

The Paugus Bay Webcam streams from Winni Marine, a full-service marina on the Paugus Bay channel at Weirs Beach in Laconia, New Hampshire. This is the short stretch of water where Paugus Bay meets Lake Winnipesaukee, so a great deal of the lake’s boat traffic funnels past on its way in or out. The camera belongs to the marina, which means its docks, rental pontoons and the gas dock are the working heart of the scene. On a summer afternoon the channel can fill with pontoons and runabouts heading out to the big lake. Early mornings are usually calmer, with flat water and only the odd fishing boat. By late fall the traffic thins, and in winter the view turns quiet, with snow on the docks and most boats hauled out for storage.

About Paugus Bay and Winni Marine

Paugus Bay is the southern arm of the Lake Winnipesaukee system, lying entirely within the city of Laconia. A short channel at its north end joins it to the main lake at Weirs Beach, and a dam at its southern end, in the village of Lakeport, separates it from Opechee Bay. From there the water runs down the Winnipesaukee River to the Merrimack. The bay covers 1,227 acres (4.97 square kilometers), runs 7.2 kilometers (4.5 miles) long and only 1.3 kilometers (0.8 miles) across at its widest, and reaches a maximum depth of 24 meters (80 feet). Its surface sits at 154 meters (504 feet) above sea level, the same level as Lake Winnipesaukee, because the 19th-century dam at Lakeport raised the bay to match the lake.

Winni Marine sits at 96 Channel Lane, right on that channel and next to the Weirs Beach area, with the Naswa Beach Bar across the water. The marina was formerly Channel Marine. The Crawford family, who run Winnisquam Marine on nearby Lake Winnisquam in Belmont, bought it and renamed it Winni Marine, their first location on Winnipesaukee. Today it handles boat rentals and sales, including Bennington pontoon boats, along with slips, valet launching, a gas dock, a ship store, service and winter storage.

Laconia calls itself the City on the Lakes, and the name fits: the city wraps around Lake Winnipesaukee, Lake Winnisquam, Opechee Bay and Paugus Bay. It had 16,871 residents at the 2020 census. Three small islands sit in Paugus Bay itself, named Plummer Island, Big Island and Little Island.

Weather and Climate in Laconia

Laconia has four sharp seasons, and the marina camera shows every one of them. July is the warm peak, with average highs of 27.8 C (82 F) and lows around 15.8 C (60 F). This is when the channel is busiest, the rental fleet is out and weekends can bring a steady line of boats past the gas dock. September and October bring cooler days, and the boat count drops week by week as owners book their winter storage.

Winter is properly cold. January averages a high of about minus 0.9 C (30 F) and a low of minus 11.3 C (12 F), and Laconia gets around 157 centimeters (62 inches) of snow a year. With most boats pulled from the water for storage, the winter frame is a study in white docks and grey water or ice. Spring is the season of change: the snow melts off the docks, the slips fill back up, and by late May the first rental pontoons head out again.

Things to Do Near Paugus Bay

Weirs Beach, right next to the marina, is the largest and most visited public beach on the lake. Its boardwalk runs for a quarter mile (400 meters) along Lakeside Avenue, and the pier, built in 1925, is the main summer port of the M/S Mount Washington. The ship runs daily cruises from Weirs Beach and calls at Wolfeboro, Meredith, Center Harbor and Alton Bay on alternating days, which makes it the easiest way to see the whole lake without a boat of your own. The Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad and the Weirs Drive-In theater are close by, and Funspot, recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest arcade in the world, hosts the International Classic Video and Pinball Tournament.

Every June, Weirs Beach becomes the focal point of Laconia Motorcycle Week, a rally founded in 1923 that runs for nine days and ends on Father’s Day. On the water, Paugus Bay holds lake trout, landlocked salmon, rainbow and brook trout, smallmouth and largemouth bass, chain pickerel and white perch, so anglers work its coves from spring to fall. In downtown Laconia, the Belknap Mill, built in 1823, is the oldest unaltered brick textile mill in the country.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Paugus Bay Webcam located?

The camera is at Winni Marine, 96 Channel Lane, in the Weirs Beach area of Laconia, Belknap County, New Hampshire. The marina sits on the channel that links Paugus Bay with Lake Winnipesaukee.

What can you see on the Paugus Bay Webcam?

The stream shows the marina on the Paugus Bay channel, where its docks and the boats heading between Paugus Bay and the main lake make up most of the scene. Traffic peaks on summer weekends and falls away in winter.

Is Paugus Bay part of Lake Winnipesaukee?

It is connected to it. Paugus Bay joins Lake Winnipesaukee through a short channel at Weirs Beach and sits at the same 154 meters (504 feet) above sea level, so boats move freely between the two.

What is the weather like in Laconia, New Hampshire?

Summers are warm, with July highs near 27.8 C (82 F). Winters are cold and snowy, with January lows around minus 11.3 C (12 F) and about 157 centimeters (62 inches) of snow a year.

How deep is Paugus Bay?

Paugus Bay reaches a maximum depth of 24 meters (80 feet), with an average depth of about 7 meters (23 feet). It covers 1,227 acres (4.97 square kilometers).

Can you rent a boat on Paugus Bay?

Yes. Winni Marine, the marina behind this camera, rents boats including pontoons, and also offers slips, valet launching, fuel, a ship store and service.

When is Laconia Motorcycle Week?

Laconia Motorcycle Week runs for nine days every June and ends on Father’s Day. Weirs Beach, next to the marina, is its traditional focal point.

How far is Weirs Beach from Paugus Bay?

They meet. Weirs Beach lies at the northern edge of Laconia around the channel that connects Paugus Bay to Lake Winnipesaukee, and Winni Marine sits right beside it.

Source: Winnisquam Marine