Minnesota · Sherburne County
Rush Lake Fishing guide
Rush Lake covers 161 acres in Sherburne County, Minnesota, reaching 11 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 1.3 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 18 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2024Good numbers5per gill net17"Typical22"Biggest
Lengths measured · 20 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 16 fish
2024Lengths measured · 20 fish
2024Lengths measured · 30 fish
2022Lengths measured · 16 fish
2021Northern pikeFair numbers6.3per gill net18"Typical28"Biggest
Lengths measured · 24 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 24 fish
2024Lengths measured · 9 fish
2019Only 9 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 17 fish
2015Lengths measured · 23 fish
2009CrappiePresent84.8per gill net4"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 338 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 338 fish
2024Lengths measured · 353 fish
2019Lengths measured · 76 fish
2015Lengths measured · 56 fish
2009Rates come from standard DNR survey gear (gill nets, trap nets, electrofishing), judged against statewide benchmarks for the same gear, so the same number of fish per net can read differently for two species. Where the standard gear can't count a species reliably, only presence and size are listed. Typical is the middle fish of those measured. Open a row for the full length spread, survey by survey.
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. In 1.3 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- 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. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows. A 11-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. In 1.3 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- 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. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops. A 11-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
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 | 22" | 28" | 6" |
| 2022 | 18" | — | — |
| 2021 | 16" | — | — |
| 2019 | 28" | 30" | 19" |
| 2018 | 16" | — | — |
| 2016 | 29" | — | — |
| 2015 | 25" | 24" | 18" |
| 2014 | 13" | — | — |
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 · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Spinnerbait
3/8–1/2 oz safety-pin spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
DNR stocking records
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Stocked |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Bluegill Sunfish | 500 yearlings |
| 2024 | Walleye | 142,000 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 142,000 fry |
| 2021 | Bluegill Sunfish | 600 yearlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 142,000 fry |
| 2018 | Walleye | 142,000 fry |
| 2016 | Walleye | 142,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2024 survey
The Briggs Chain of Lakes is made up of Briggs, Julia and Rush lakes which are connected by a navigable channel. Walleye fry have been stocked into the chain every other year since 1992. Night electrofishing was conducted during the evening of October 3, 2024. A total of nine young of year (YOY) Walleye were collected across the three lakes in a total of 2.3 hours of electrofishing effort for a catch rate of 3.9/hr. This was a decrease over the last stocking in 2022 (13.9/hr). Since 2006 the YOY catch rate across lakes has ranged from 5.7/hr to 131.5/hr with an average of 50.9/hr. Individual lake YOY Walleye catch rates for 2024 were 4.7/hr for Briggs, 6.7/hr for Rush, and 2.0/hr for Julia. Average fingerling length across lakes was 6.7 inches.
Survival of Walleye age-1 and older was good. A total of 102 Walleye age-1 and older were collected across the three lakes in a total of 2.3 hours of electrofishing effort for a catch rate of 44.6/hr. Catch rates of age-1 and older Walleye was 52.4/hr for Briggs, 28.8/hr for Rush, and 45.1/hr for Julia. Age-1 or older Walleye sampled ranged in length from 9.1 to 23.6 inches and averaged 15.1 inches.
Read the full DNR narrative
Results from the 2024 lake survey showed that the Walleye catch ranged from 1.3 to 5.0 per gill net, which was below the median value for both Lake Classes 43 (Julia, Rush) and Lake Class 24 (Briggs). These catch rates were a slight increase over the 2019 catch rates that ranged from 1.7 to 3.5 per gill net. Perhaps more interesting was the fact that 45% of the walleye sampled in the 2024 survey were from years where stocking did not occur. Since lakes in the Briggs Chain lack suitable spawning habitat it seems likely that these fish immigrated from nearby Elk Lake which is not stocked by the DNR and is sustained entirely by natural reproduction from the connected Elk River.
Fry stocking continues to be the preferred management strategy for Walleye in the Briggs Chain and will be stocked again in 2026.
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.
Public water access
Getting on the water
- Rush Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Rush Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Briggs Lake · 404 ac · 0.6 mi
- Julia Lake · 155 ac · 1.1 mi
- Elk Lake · 357 ac · 1.5 mi
- Camp Lake · 82 ac · 3.6 mi
- Clear Lake · 113 ac · 6.3 mi
- Round Lake · 36 ac · 6.4 mi
- Pickerel Lake · 108 ac · 6.5 mi
- Long Lake · 174 ac · 7.1 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Rush Lake?
Rush Lake reaches 11 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 6.7 ft; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Rush Lake?
Rush Lake covers 161 acres with about 2.7 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Rush Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Rush Lake average 1.3 ft of visibility, on the stained end 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.
Is Rush Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked bluegill sunfish in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Rush Lake have a public access?
Yes. Rush Lake has one public access site: Rush Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Rush Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 22"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2014.
When was Rush Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Rush Lake in 2024, the most recent of 18 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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