Skip to main content
LakeQuality

Lake Thompson

B
Grade B — Good
Good · #37 of 67 lakes in the county · 4 ft clear · Eutrophic · 401 acres · from C
Eutrophic

Lake Thompson in Oneida County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 30 ft. Surface area: 401 acres.

Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Lake Thompson. DNR survey details →

Clarity
4 ft
Max depth
30 ft
Area
401 acres
Type
Eutrophic
Trend
Improving
Public access
Yes

Next lake in Oneida County

Swipe left or right on this bar to open the next or previous lake.

Loading map…

Lake Thompson is a 401-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 30 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 6 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 66 other monitored lakes in Oneida County, Lake Thompson ranks #37 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-08-05. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Watch Lake Thompson water quality

Subscribe for LakeQuality updates by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Swimming Safety

Grade only

Low algae

Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.

Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Rhinelander

Get alerts for Lake Thompson

Water Quality Grade: B (Good)

Murky, only visible to about 4 ft. Phosphorus level: 22.4 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 53.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)4 ftNot graded
Phosphorus22.4 µg/LGood
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)53Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Where to stay near Lake Thompson

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Thompson in Oneida County, Wisconsin — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.

Top-rated places to stay near Lake Thompson

Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.

Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Wisconsin’s top lakes →

DNR fisheries survey

Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Lake Thompson.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Lake Thompson B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.

WI DNR Lake Profile

Authoritative data from the Wisconsin DNR LakePages. Monitored by volunteers since 1993. 2 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).

DNR Assessment
Fair · Deep Lowland lake
Trophic State Index 55 (eutrophic) · 5-year average

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

Panfish(Abundant)Musky(Common)Northern Pike(Common)Walleye(Common)Largemouth Bass(Present)Smallmouth Bass(Present)

DNR Reports & Resources

Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Lake Thompson covering fish populations, stocking, water quality, and management. 1 report on file.

These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth30 ft
Surface Area401 acres
Public AccessYes

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
3 sq mi
Shoreline
6.3 mi
Elevation
1,558 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Recreation & Access

1
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Thompson LakePublic

Named access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, snapped within 5 km. More lakes with boat ramps

Fish Species

Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.

Fishing Lake Thompson

Invasive & Introduced Species

Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.

Chinese Mystery SnailRusty Crayfish

Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Improving+0.111 m/yr5
Phosphorus Stable-0.17 µg/L/yr6
See year-by-year chart →

County Ranking

Ranked #37 of 67 lakes in Oneida County

Nearby Lakes in Oneida County

Frequently asked questions about Lake Thompson

Where is Lake Thompson?

Lake Thompson is a lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

What is the water quality grade for Lake Thompson?

Lake Thompson in Oneida County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 30 ft. Surface area: 401 acres.

Is Lake Thompson safe to swim in?

Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Lake Thompson has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

How deep is Lake Thompson?

Lake Thompson has a maximum depth of 30 feet. The lake covers 401 acres.

What fish are in Lake Thompson?

Fish species found in Lake Thompson include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Lake Thompson is located in Oneida County, Wisconsin.

What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Lake Thompson?

Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Lake Thompson. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Lake Thompson B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.

Are there boat ramps on Lake Thompson?

Lake Thompson has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Thompson Lake. Public access is listed as yes.

Where this data comes from

32 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesWIDNR_WQX32 samples · 2020–2025

Analytical methods

  • Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (2)

Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.

Other records on this page

Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)

Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes

Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory