Thomson Reservoir
Carlton County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 09000100
Thomson Reservoir has no DNR stocking rows in LakeFinder; this page carries its DNR depth, access and survey data.
- Thomson Reservoir shows no stocking records in Minnesota DNR LakeFinder as of .
- Maximum depth 22 ft; surface area 390 acres, 283 littoral acres, 10.7 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, channel catfish, northern pike, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Carlton County, nearest town Thomson; DNR lake number (DOW) 09000100.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 7/10/1974 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| CA | city | - City owned carry-down (over wall) at the northern terminus of Thomsons main street. |
DNR fish survey, 2002
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 7.56 | 68 | 1.44 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 4.22 | 38 | 0.61 |
| Smallmouth bass | Standard gill nets | 3.22 | 29 | 1.51 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 2.78 | 25 | 0.42 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 1.33 | 12 | 0.32 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 1.11 | 10 | 0.29 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 0.78 | 7 | 1.80 |
| Channel catfish | Standard gill nets | 0.33 | 3 | 6.99 |
| White sucker | Standard trap nets | 4.56 | 41 | 1.67 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 1.11 | 10 | 0.57 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 0.89 | 8 | 0.54 |
| Channel catfish | Standard trap nets | 0.56 | 5 | 8.04 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 0.44 | 4 | 0.21 |
| Smallmouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.44 | 4 | 1.39 |
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 0.21 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 0.14 |
Catch per net (CPUE) is the DNR survey's count per gill net or trap net set; higher means more of that species were sampled, not a fishing forecast. Top species per gear shown; where we have no verified common name for a DNR code, the code itself is shown.
Thomson is a 339 acre reservoir located immediately north of Thomson, MN. It is operated as a water storage reservoir by Minnesota Power for the Thomson Hydro Station further down stream and is subject to water level manipulation. Maximum depth is 22 feet and 83% of the reservoir is shallower than 15 feet. Access is limited to a carry-down site at the north end of Thomson's main street. Walleye abundance of 4.2 per gillnet lift was above average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Mean length of walleye was 12.2 inches. Growth was slow, with length at age four of 13.3 inches. Six year-classes were represented from 1995 through 2001, with 82% of the fish from the 2000 and 2001 year-classes. Northern pike abundance of 0.8 per gillnet was below average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Mean length of northern pike was 19.2 inches. All year-classes were represented from 1998 through 2001. Smallmouth bass abundance of 3.2 per gillnet lift was higher than previous years, but there are no other similar lakes for comparison of catch rates. Mean length of smallmouth bass was 13.5 inches. Growth was fast, with length at age four of 12.0 inches. Seven year classes were represented from 1991 through 2001, with a strong 1998 year-class (44% of the fish). Yellow perch abundance of 2.8 per gillnet lift was below average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Mean length of perch was 8.6 inches. Growth was extremely fast, with length at age four of 9.4 inches. All year-classes were represented from 1997 through 2001. Eight channel catfish were captured during the assessment, but there are no similar lakes for comparison of catch rates. Channel catfish were large with a mean length of 26.0 inches. Walleye and smallmouth bass should currently provide excellent angling in Thomson Reservoir. Large yellow perch are also available in lower numbers. Other fish sampled included black bullhead, black crappie, rock bass, white sucker and shorthead redhorse.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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