Thompson Lake (The Heath)

Thompson Lake is one of the larger lakes in the area and it provides a variety of recreational opportunities. Its shoreline is fairly well developed; however, it still offers some nice scenic views. This water offers a variety of habitat, which supports some excellent coldwater and warmwater fisheries. This water thermally stratifies each summer, and dissolved oxygen levels are suitable for salmonid management down to the bottom. Landlocked salmon are stocked annually and are managed to provide a quality spring salmon fishery. Trolling along Thompson Lake's rocky shoreline in the spring can provide some excellent angling and salmon up to 5-6 pounds are not uncommon. A small amount of natural reproduction occurs in a few of the tributaries, but annual stocking is required to maintain the fishery. In addition, lake trout were stocked by MDIFW in the late 1930's to the early 1950's and today a self-sustaining population exists. Togue are under-utilized during the summer, but ice fishing for togue is quite popular. Anglers using jigging gear tend to catch more than anglers using traditional traps with dead or cut bait. The majority of the togue run from 2~ - 3~ pounds. This water has an ample amount of habitat for smallmouth bass, and a good fishery exists. Growth is excellent at Thompson and bass up to 3 pounds are common. The current state record for smallmouth bass was taken from the lake in 1970. Thompson Lake also has some excellent largemouth bass fishing and fish between 5 and 8 pounds are occasionally caught. The northern part of the lake and the "Heath- at the southern end are the most popular areas for largemouth fishing. Public access to Thompson Lake" is currently a problem, and MDIFW is actively searching for an area to construct a public boat launch. Thompson Lake Marina on the Heath Rd. has a ramp that is available on a voluntary fee basis. However, several problems plague this site: (l)launching of larger-size boats can be difficult; (2) traffic safety issues, and (3) limited parking. A concrete ramp is located off Rte. 121 in Oxford, but this site also has traffic safety issues and limited parking. Another ramp is located at the northern end of the lake, but access is limited to Oxford town residents.