Muskrats occupy marshes, slow rivers, farm ponds, and sheltered lake margins across New Hampshire. The Connecticut and Merrimack valleys, Lakes Region wetlands, and freshwater reaches near Great Bay all provide habitat. Look for low vegetation-built houses, bank burrows, clipped cattails, or a narrow wake at dawn and dusk.
They are active year-round, with reports strongest from March through July as ice recedes and shoreline activity becomes visible. Quiet observation from established trails protects fragile wetland edges.
Full species profile
