Thompson Lake Fishing Guide, Madison County, Montana

• Overview

  Set in Madison County, Montana, this is Thompson Lake. Elevation runs to 9,131 feet. Small at around 6 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. For supplies, Big Sky is 6 miles out. The big place round here is Billings, 142 miles distant. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Thompson Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Public occurrence data for Madison County names rainbow trout, brown trout, mountain whitefish and brook trout. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Thompson Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between December at about 17°F and July at about 52°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late May. Climate figures give an open season running late May to early November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Thompson Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. For a change of water, Chilled Lakes is 0.4 miles distant. For Thompson Lake in particular, ask before you travel.