Fishing at Thompson Lake, Dakota County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Thompson Lake lies in Dakota County, in Minnesota. Everything around it is mixed forest. It covers about 7 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Dakota County. West Saint Paul lies 1.6 miles from the water. Saint Paul sits 2.5 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Thompson Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Records held for Dakota County cover bluegill, common carp, green sunfish, black crappie and black bullhead. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Thompson Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 73°F in July and bottom out at 13°F in January. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early April. In an average year the thaw lands around early April and the freeze near early December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Anyone fishing Thompson Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. You can leave the car about 160 yards from the water. A platform or pier sits within 70 yards. Mapping marks a fishing place roughly 70 yards off. A toilet block sits half a mile away. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. The nearest alternative is Lilly Lake, 0.2 miles out. Nothing on Thompson Lake should be assumed from this page alone.