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8-acre lake near Dakota County. The lake tops out around 8 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
On the chart, Thompson draws 8 acres inside 0.5 miles of shoreline. At index 1.3 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. The water lies in Dakota County. The nearest mapped water is Mississippi River - Pigs Eye, 2 mi to the east.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: northern pike in 2 to 8 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 8 ft through summer, 2 to 8 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 8 ft covers summer, 2 to 8 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Shoreline break (4 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 8 ft through summer, 2 to 8 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 7 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring puts bluegill in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 2 to 8 ft, wintering in 2 to 8 ft. Spring bluegill concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring pumpkinseed on Thompson hold shallow, usually 1 to 8 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 8 ft in summer, 2 to 8 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 8 ft covers summer, 2 to 8 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (7 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dusk | Deep basin (7 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) |
5 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 7 ft, is the deepest of them.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024* | Bluegill Sunfish (adults) | 2,564 | — |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports, retrieved 2026-08-18.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Thompson specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Thompson is about 8 ft (2 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target northern pike, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, channel catfish on Thompson.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For northern pike, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Yes — per Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports records, Thompson was most recently stocked 2024 with 2,564 bluegill sunfish (adults). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Thompson is regulated by the Minnesota DNR. Check the official Minnesota regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Mississippi River - Pigs Eye 2 mi · Pickerel 3 mi · Sunfish 3 mi · Crosby 4 mi · Unnamed (Bohrer Pond) 4 mi · Mississippi River Pool 2 (Hastings) 4 mi · Rogers 4 mi · Carver 4 mi · Augusta 5 mi · Loeb 5 mi · Tanners 5 mi · Battle Creek 5 mi
See how Thompson stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best crappie lakes in Minnesota · best bluegill lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Dakota County fishing maps (32 charts). Browse all Minnesota fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.