Thompsons Lake Fishing near Altamont, New York

• Overview

  Within Albany County, New York, you have Thompsons Lake. The country round it is lake country bush from end to end. It measures about 131 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Roughly 1.8 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. It is among the larger waters listed here for Albany County. Altamont is the closest town at 3.5 miles. Berne is 4.9 miles and Voorheesville 5.8 miles. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Thompsons Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Survey and observation records for Albany County include common carp, goldfish and brown trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. The near bank of Thompsons Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 68°F; by January the average is down near 19°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early April. Averages place the thaw at early April and the freeze at mid December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Plan any trip to Thompsons Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Thompson Lake Fishing Access Site provides a boat ramp about half a mile away. A car park sits roughly half a mile away. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. A toilet block sits half a mile away. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Warner Lake is 2.5 miles off. Confirm before you fish Thompsons Lake.