Fishing Thompson Lake in Cook County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Set in Cook County, Thompson Lake is a Minnesota water. Elevation runs to 1,703 feet. The water measures roughly 16 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Minnesota listings. The nearest town is Grand Marais, 9.1 miles away. The nearest city of size is Thunder Bay, 68 miles away. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Thompson Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Across Cook County, recorded fish include white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike and rainbow trout. 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

  Typical July readings run about 63°F; by January the average is down near 6°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near mid November in autumn. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Time your trip to Thompson Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. 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. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Dick Lake at 2.2 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the position at Thompson Lake before loading the car.