Fishing Thompson Lake in Sheridan County, Nebraska

• Overview

  Set in Sheridan County, Nebraska, this is Thompson Lake. The ground round it is mixed forest. It measures about 154 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. A shoreline of some 2.0 miles keeps the choices simple. It is among the larger waters listed here for Sheridan County. Alliance is the closest place, 23 miles off. The nearest city of size is Greeley, 165 miles away. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Thompson Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. County-wide records name white sucker, brown trout and rock bass. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The near bank of Thompson Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 23°F in January up to 73°F in July. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid March. The water is typically free of ice between mid March and early December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Plan any trip to Thompson Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. The nearest alternative is Crowther Lake, 0.7 miles out. Treat Thompson Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.