Fishing Thompson Lake in Livingston County, Michigan

• Overview

  Look for Thompson Lake in Livingston County, Michigan. The bank is 899 feet above sea level. This is sizeable water at about 268 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. Around 4.1 miles of bank, which is a long day on foot. It is among the larger waters listed here for Livingston County. For a base, Howell sits 0.9 miles out. Fowlerville is 8.8 miles away, with Brighton at 8.9 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Thompson Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Reported across Livingston County: bluegill, largemouth bass, black crappie, pink salmon and yellow perch. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. On Thompson Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 70°F in July and bottom out at 22°F in January. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Ice-out usually falls in early April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The lid tends to go about early April and return around mid December. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Plan around that when you fish Thompson Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. A boat ramp sits half a mile away, so trailered boats can get on. A parking area is marked roughly half a mile out. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Earl Lake, 1.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat Thompson Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.