Thompson Lake Fishing in Cherry County, Nebraska

• Overview

  Thompson Lake lies in Cherry County, in Nebraska. It lies 3,497 feet above sea level. With some 183 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The closest town, Gordon, is 13 miles away. Further out sit Porcupine (22 miles) and Martin (23 miles). Within a short run: Hoover Lake at 0.9 miles, Rush Lake out at 1.4 miles, Trucks Lake at 1.6 miles, Powell Lake out at 1.8 miles and Dads Lake at 1.9 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Thompson Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Cherry County records list white sucker, common carp and green sunfish among the fish reported. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Fish Thompson Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 72°F in July and bottom out at 22°F in January. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late March. In an average year the thaw lands around late March and the freeze near early December. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Thompson Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Hoover Lake at 0.9 miles is the sensible second choice. For Thompson Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.