Fishing at Thompson Lake, Grant County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Thompson Lake is one of the Grant County waters in Minnesota. Beyond the shoreline you have rolling bush. Surface area is around 149 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Shoreline comes to about 2.2 miles, small enough to learn in a day. The town to know is Elbow Lake, 10 miles out. Alexandria lies 21 miles off, Morris another 23 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Thompson Lake

  Surveys put the deepest water at about 25 feet. 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. Fish documented in Grant County include common carp, largemouth bass, walleye and bluegill. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Take Thompson Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 70°F; the cold one sits at 8°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly mid April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid April until roughly late November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. At Thompson Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Should this one be busy, Hjermenrud Lake is 0.9 miles off. Treat Thompson Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.