Fishing at Thompson Lake, Sherburne County, Minnesota

• Overview

  The Sherburne County entry here is Thompson Lake, in Minnesota. The land about it is rolling bush. The water covers some 75 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Shoreline comes to about 1.8 miles, small enough to learn in a day. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Minnesota listings. Some 2.4 miles away sits Big Lake, the nearest settlement. Beyond it, Monticello at 3.7 miles and Becker at 5.4 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Thompson Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Public occurrence data for Sherburne County names bluegill, northern pike and largemouth bass. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. At Thompson Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 11°F to 71°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Look for the thaw near early April; the fishing lifts straight after. The season between ice runs from about early April to late November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Time your trip to Thompson Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. The nearest alternative is Strand Lake, 0.6 miles out. Check the position on Thompson Lake before loading the car.