[1] The surface of this Middle North Shore river is usually frozen from the beginning of November to the end of April, except the rapids areas; however, traffic on the ice is generally safe from late November to early April.

The Thompson River originates from an unidentified lake (length: 0.6 km (0.37 mi); altitude: 129 m (423 ft)) located in the municipality of Franquelin.

This confluence is located at: From the mouth of the Thompson river, the current descends on 7.8 km (4.8 mi) the course of the Franquelin river to the north shore of the estuary of Saint Lawrence.

[2] The term "Thompson" is a family name of English origin.

The toponym "Rivière Thompson" was formalized on 1968-12-05 at the Place Names Bank of the Commission de toponymie du Québec.