Minnesota · Crow Wing County

Rush Lake Fishing guide

Rush Lake is a 858-acre lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, reaching 105 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 16.8 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 9 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.

Open the live map → Survey data

Depth to 105 ft · top 5 summer marks

Surface858 ac

Max depth105 ft

Clarity16.8 ft

Littoral58%

Surveyed2024

How to fish Rush Lake through the year

Walleye

Spring: Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 16.8 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
Early summer: Walleye are setting up on the outside weed edge, points and shallow structure.
Summer: Walleye are working the weed edge, points and any wind-blown structure. On a lake that drops to 105 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
Fall: Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.

Northern pike

Spring: Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 16.8 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
Early summer: Pike are on the outside weed edge and points.
Summer: Pike are on the deep weed edge and points near the coolest water they can find. On a lake that drops to 105 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
Fall: Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.

Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.

Size history

Biggest fish by survey year

Survey year	Walleye	Northern pike	Largemouth bass
2024	29"	30"	17"
2018	30"	32"	13"
2011	27"	31"	19"
2005	28"	33"	18"
2000	30"	36"	19"
1995	28"	35"	8"

Longest fish measured by DNR survey crews in each year's nets. Survey gear samples the population, so the lake usually holds larger fish than any survey measured.

Suggested tackle

What to bring

Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:

Walleye · Live bait

Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler

jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler

8–35 ftslow

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Walleye · Trolling

Leadcore Line + Crankbaits

4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run

15–45 fttrolling

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Northern pike · Soft plastics

Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead

4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead

3–25 ftmoderate

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Northern pike · Jigs & bladed

Inline Spinner (Mepps/Blue Fox)

#2–#4 in-line spinner

1–10 ftmoderate

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Largemouth bass · Soft plastics

Texas-Rigged Worm

7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm

1–25 ftdead slow

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Largemouth bass · Soft plastics

Free Rig

Creature bait or magnum finesse worm

8–30 ftdead slowweedless

Shop creature baits →

Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

MN DNR · in their words

From the 2024 survey

Rush-Hen Lake is 858 acres and is a part of the 14,000-acre Whitefish Chain of Lakes in northern Crow Wing County. The maximum depth is 105 feet and 58% of Rush-Hen is 15 feet deep or less. There is no public access on Rush-Hen Lake however, it can be accessed via a channel from either Cross Lake or Lower Whitefish Lake.

Northern Pike were sampled in high numbers and averaged 21.4". Out of 99 Northern Pike sampled 17% were 26" or greater with the largest fish measuring 30.9". This lake is a part of the north central zone for Northern Pike regulation which, has a possession limit of 10 with not more than 2 over 26". All from 22"-26" must be immediately released. Please refer to the current Minnesota Fishing Regulations for additional information.

Read the full DNR narrative

Walleye were sampled in low numbers; however, the average length was quality at 19.1". Walleye up to 29.7" were sampled. Walleye are not directly stocked into Rush-Hen; however, the Whitefish chain is stocked annually with fry and every other year with fingerlings. Walleye have the ability to move throughout the whole chain.

Bluegill were sampled in high numbers and averaged 5.0" in length. Out of 395 Bluegill sampled only 6% were 7" or greater, indicating a poor size structure. It is possible that larger Bluegill had vacated the shallows or were nesting, making sampling larger fish difficult. Black Crappie were not sampled in the gill nets or the trap nets. A 5-fish daily bag for both Black Crappie and Bluegill were implemented on the Whitefish Chain of Lakes in 2021.

Largemouth Bass electrofishing was done across the Whitefish Chain, resulting in a catch rate of 44.9 per hour. The average length of Largemouth Bass sampled was 13.1"and the largest measured 19.2".

Lake Whitefish and Tullibee continue to have high numbers for the lake. Lake Whitefish sampled had an average length of 17.2". Tullibee sampled had an average length of 11.6". Lake Whitefish and Tullibee are an important prey species for predators like Northern Pike and Walleye.

Rush-Hen Lake is designated as AIS (aquatic invasive species) infested waters because of Zebra Mussels. Lake users are required to inspect and remove any aquatic plants and animals from their watercraft and trailers as well as pull the plug and drain all water from the watercraft, including bilges, livewells and baitwells.

Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.

Recent reports

Rush Lake fishing reports

Recent reports on Rush Lake from guides, tournaments and regular anglers. Anything posted in the last two weeks also bumps the matching spots on the live map, so you'll see a "matches a recent report" tag on them.

Open the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report

Crow Wing County reports

Public water access

Getting on the water

Public access: Access via channel from Cross Lake on east shore.
Public access: Access via channel from Lower Whitefish Lake on west shore.

DNR bathymetry

Rush Lake depth map

Rush Lake depth contour map, Crow Wing County, Minnesota — Depth contours to 105 ft from Minnesota DNR bathymetry, free to save or print. The live map adds ranked spots and conditions on the same contours.

Within 30 miles

Nearby lakes

Island Lake · 232 ac · 1.4 mi
Pleasant Lake · 22 ac · 1.4 mi
Ox Lake · 241 ac · 1.9 mi
Daggett Lake · 258 ac · 2 mi
Cross Lake Reservoir · 1,815 ac · 2.1 mi
Big Trout Lake · 1,366 ac · 2.2 mi
Pig Lake · 196 ac · 2.5 mi
Star Lake · 128 ac · 2.7 mi

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

How deep is Rush Lake?

Rush Lake reaches 105 ft at its deepest point; about 58% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).

How big is Rush Lake?

Rush Lake covers 858 acres with about 14.8 miles of shoreline.

How clear is the water in Rush Lake?

DNR Secchi readings on Rush Lake average 16.8 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.

What fish are in Rush Lake?

Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.

Is Rush Lake stocked?

No stocking is on record for Rush Lake in the DNR's stocking database.

Does Rush Lake have a public access?

Yes. Rush Lake has 2 public access sites, including a Public access (Access via channel from Cross Lake on east shore.).

How big do walleye get in Rush Lake?

The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 29"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1995.

When was Rush Lake last surveyed?

The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Rush Lake in 2024, the most recent of 9 surveys on record.

Page updated September 22, 2026.

The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Rush Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:

Open Rush Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report