Lake Thompson Fishing Report 2014

Below are photos of clients and friends - July and August of 2014 on Lake Thompson. July and August 2014 Fishing Report- I've been guiding and fishing for fun. Here are the latest pictures from the last 2 months on Lake Thompson.

Lake Thompson is located 40 miles west of Brookings SD. It is the second largest non-manmade lake in South Dakota, originally starting out as a slough after many years turning into a lake. There is very little stocking of walleye fry on Lake Thompson and it is self-sufficient in reproduction. Lake Thompson has 3 inlets and one outlet. It has submerged stock dams, road, humps, sandbars, trees and all sorts of structure. It is one of my favorite lakes and always has been.

De Smet, a small town just to the north of Lake Thompson approximately 6 miles, is the home of the Laura Ingalls Wilder pageant. Lodging can be found in either De Smet or Lake Preston, which is just 10 miles east on Highway 14.

July 24, Kia and I went to Lake Thompson for half a day. We missed many but captured a few crappie and a few nice perch to go with. Pulling spinners 1.2 mph.

On July 16, Brian Carlson were on Lake Thompson. Plain hook and crawler working in 9-12' of water. Caught these crappie and perch off of a point.

On June 6, I had a North Dakota group for a day - we had a great day catching and releasing walleye and crappie with a plain hook, tipped with a minnow. Overcast with 10-12 mph winds.

June 7, Nick Blake from Hudson SD, fished for the day pulling spinners on a nice, bright sunny day and caught these nice crappie.

June 18

June 1, 2014

Chuck Jansen and Corey Nelson - We fished Thompson in 30+ NW winds with plain hook and minnow. Caught these 'eyes and a pike - tough day.

These 14-24 inchers were caught in June 2002 on Lake Thompson. That's me in the boat. Lenny Schutz and Corey Nelson (two fishing buddies) helped me hammer these eyes working a submerged sandbar. Bottom bouncer, floating jig head and enough crawler to cover the hook. We were in 14' of water, trolling Lindy rigs along a submerged sandbar at 10' or 11'.

Again, these 14-23 inchers were caught on Lake Thompson, with the exception of a different location. (Pictured Lenny Schutz and I, Corey Nelson taking photo). We worked a dropoff past a tree line from 9' to 12'. Again, floating jigheads with enough crawler to cover the hook. Nice fish guys!

My fishing buddy, Corey Nelson and I caught these, I believe in May of 2002, mid-June on Lake Thompson, drifting over trenches that are located in front of a cove. If memory serves me, jigs and minnows 15'-16'.

My photogenic buddy, Corey Nelson displays a couple 'eyes from Lake Thompson, Lindy rig with floating jigheads near some submerged trees.

These were my top 2 'eyes of the same day as Corey above.

This 23 1/2" walleye, was caught on Lake Thompson, on a yellow or pink floater and crawler. I released this fish.

This picture of me and this 4 lb. walleye (along with picture below) were caught on Lake Thompson, drifting in 13-15 mile an hour winds, with bottom bouncers and spinners.

The next 3 photos below of jumbo perch and a few 'eyes were caught on Lake Thompson, end of July, into August. These jumbo perch were caught on crappie rigs, ranging from 13' to 18" of water. August is usually the starting month for the perch's feeding frenzy, getting ready for winter's arrival. With 3 people in the boat, 6 lines out, crappie rigs with just enough crawler to cover the hook, as you can see it doesn't take long to call in a school of jumbo perch.

caught this 8 lb. northern pike, again on Lake Thompson. I was bringing in a 10" cigar (walleye), when mid-way up, Bam, we landed this northern pike in the net with the 10 inch walleye horizontal in the northern's mouth. Spinner was also still in the walleye's mouth, of course. It was an exhilarating landing.