Fishing at Thompson Lake, Park County, Montana

• Overview

  Thompson Lake belongs to Park County, Montana. The bank gives way to mixed forest. It covers about 22 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Head to Livingston, 34 miles away, for anything you forgot. The nearest city of size is Billings, 108 miles away. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Thompson Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Park County cover rainbow trout, brook trout, california golden trout and brown trout. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Thompson Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 54°F in July and bottom out at 17°F in January. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid May. Break-up near mid May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Expect Thompson Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Lonesome Pond, 2.1 miles out. Nothing on Thompson Lake should be assumed from this page alone.