Hen Lake
Hen Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 17.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 105 ft. Surface area: 857.82 acres.
- Clarity
- 17.1 ft
- Typical in August
- 56°F
- Max depth
- 105 ft
- Area
- 858 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- No
- Ice-out
- Apr 19
- Open water
- 224 days
Next lake in Crow Wing County
Free interactive depth-contour map of Hen Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 50 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Hen Lake is a 858-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 105 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 21 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Hen Lake ranks #67 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-14. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 17.1 ft down. Phosphorus level: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 2.4 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 39.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 17.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 14 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.4 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 39 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Hen Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Hen Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
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Water Temperature
Hen Lake typically sits around 56°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 59°F. Usually warmest in Sep (about 67°F) and coldest in Oct (about 49°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 184 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Hen Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 105 ft |
| Surface Area | 858 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 14.8 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 58% |
| Public Access | No |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Hen Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-06-24 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 27.21 | 0.11 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 17.98 | — |
| BCS | 12.20 | — |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 9.98 | 0.56 lb |
| CNM | 8.82 | — |
| MMS | 8.17 | — |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Bluegill
Tullibee (Cisco)
From the 2024-06-24 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…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Hen Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — RushFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.032 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.54 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.13 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (11 observations).
Estimated open water season: 224 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2016-04-05 (2016) | 2013-05-13 (2013) |
| Ice-In | 2006-11-29 (2006) | 2007-12-01 (2007) |
Most recent ice-out: 2020-04-20
EPA Impairment Status
Hen Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN18-0311-00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.26 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #67 of 85 lakes in Crow Wing County
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Hen Lake
What is the water quality grade for Hen Lake?
- Hen Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 17.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 105 ft. Surface area: 857.82 acres.
Is Hen Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Hen Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 2.4 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Hen Lake?
- Hen Lake typically sits around 56°F at the surface in August, from 184 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Hen Lake?
- Hen Lake has a maximum depth of 105 feet. The lake covers 857.82 acres.
What fish are in Hen Lake?
- Fish species found in Hen Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, burbot, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, lake whitefish, largemouth bass, northern pike, northern sunfish, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Hen Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
When does Hen Lake thaw?
- Hen Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 19. Ice typically forms around Nov 29. The open water season is approximately 224 days.
Explore Hen Lake across LakeGrade
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Fish species and best lakes in Crow Wing County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
30 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA30 samples · 2024–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate