Rush

Rush Lake is a small (71.8 acre), clear, moderately soft water lake, with a maximum depth of 37 feet. It has had three surveys previous to this 1996 survey, 1949, 1967, and 1986. Survey catch rates of game fish species have been fairly typical for lakes of its type, except that yellow perch populations have consistently been quite low.The northern catch rate was 6.8 per gillnet lift. Average weight was 1.7 lbs., but fish up to 33.6 inches were caught, so the lake is capable of producing a few fairly large northerns. Bluegills were taken at 31 per trapnet lift, and ranged from 3.2 to 8.0 inches, with an average length of 5.4 inches. Black crappies were taken at a rate of 2.3 per trapnet set, and ranged from 4.4 to 10.3 inches. The largest single length group was 6.0 - 6.5 inches. Crappies can be expected to have variable reproductive success from year to year. A strong year-class can produce a good fishery as it matures. Black crappie numbers in the 1986 survey were high for the lake type, so the lake can produce some large year-classes, and probably has good crappie fishing in some years. Yellow perch numbers were low, as the have been in previous surveys. Electrofishing for largemouth bass showed a good population of small bass, with 8.0 - 8.5 inches the most common length group taken, but bass ranged up to 16.9 inches, so the lake is capable of producing large bass. Other species taken in gillnets or trapnets in small numbers included hybrid sunfish, brown bullhead, pumpkinseed sunfish, and white sucker.Shoreline seining indicated successful bluegill, largemouth bass, northern pike, and yellow perch reproduction in 1996. It should be noted that very few Hinckley area lakes showed black crappie reproduction in 1996.Access to Rush Lake is over private land, so the lake is not eligible for DNR stocking.Prepared by: Steve Morse

THE NORTHERN PIKE WAS VERY HIGH AT 11.00 FISH PER GILLNET SET. THERE APPARENTLY HAS BEEN A REAL IN- CREASE IN THE POPULATION FROM THE 1967 SURVEY BUT DUE TO THE DIFFERENCE IN NET SETS THIS CANNOT BE CONFIRMED. YEAR CLASSES REPRESENTED WERE FROM II THROUGH VII YEARS WITH 48.7% OF THE FISH SAMPLED (39) BEING 3 YEARS OLD. GROWTH RATE WAS AVERAGE AT ALL ANNULUS. MEDIAN LENGTH WAS 16.0 TO 16.9 IN. WITH A MEAN WEIGHT OF 1.44 PDS. THE YELLOW PERCH WAS EXTREMELY LOW AT 0.67 PER SET BUT YOUNG OF THE YEAR WERE TAKEN IN THE SHORELINE SEINING AND ALSO OBSERVED BY THE SURVEY CREW TO INDICATE GOOD NATURAL REPRODUCTION. THE BLUEGILL SUNFISH WAS VERY HIGH AT 45.50 PER TRAP NET SET AND OF SMALL SIZE. LENGTH FREQUENCY RANGED FROM 3.0 TO 7.9 IN. WITH A MEDIAN LENGTH OF 5.0 TO 5.4 INCHES. ONE WALLEYE WAS TAKEN IN THE GILLNETS TO INDICATE THEIR PRESENCE IN THE LAKE. THE LARGEMOUTH BASS WAS LOW IN THE TRAPNET CATCH AT 0.25 BUT YOUNG OF THE YEAR WERE TAKEN IN THE SHORELINE SEINING AND MANY LARGEMOUTH BASS UP TO 10 INCHES IN LENGTH WERE OBSERVED BY THE SURVEY CREW TO INDICATE A VERY GOOD POPULATION IS PRESENT IN THE LAKE. THE BLACK CRAPPIE WAS LOW AT 5.25 FISH PER SET WITH A MEDIAN LENGTH OF 7.5 TO 7.9 INCHES AND A MEAN WEIGHT OF 0.35 PDS. THE PUMPKINSEED SUNFISH AND THE HYBRID SUNFISH SHOWED LOW POPULATION FIGURES AT 2.00 AND 1.00 PER SET RESPECTIVELY AND WERE OF SMALL AVERAGE SIZE. THE YELLOW BULLHEAD WAS LOW AT 2.50 FISH PER SET WHILE THE BROWN BULLHEAD WAS VERY LOW AT 0.25.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Black Crappie, Walleye, and Green Sunfish in Rush. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

We don't have a confirmed public access point on record for Rush. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

Rush has a maximum depth of 37 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Rush is from 1996. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

No invasive species are on record for Rush in Minnesota DNR data. Always clean, drain, and dry your equipment to help keep it that way.

No — Rush has no lake-specific regulations in the 2026 Minnesota DNR regulations, so statewide Minnesota limits apply. The statewide crappie limit is: 10 combined total. Verify current rules with the Minnesota DNR before keeping fish.