Thompson Creek is a 10.8-mile-long (17.4 km)[1][2] northwestward-flowing stream currently originating on the southern slopes of Mount Misery[3] in the western foothills of the Diablo Range.

The creek was one of several that fed into the marshy area known as Laguna Socayre, where the Lake Cunningham flood retention basin is now.

[5] The Thompson Creek watershed currently drains an area of approximately 18 square miles (47 km2)[6] with its source on the southern flank of Mount Misery in the western foothills of the Diablo Range southeast of San Jose, California.

[6][7] In 1978, Silver Creek Marsh was excavated into a flood water detention pond or reservoir, now known as Lake Cunningham.

[6] Historically Thompson Creek did not reach today's Lake Cunningham and was not regarded as a steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) spawning stream.