Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest June 24, 2024
Hen Lake FishingAWater-quality grade A
Minnesota DNR surveys at Hen Lake average 27.21 bluegill per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 9 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated June 24, 2024. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–7 inches. In Crow Wing County, Minnesota, Hen Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of A. Water clarity averages 17.1 feet of visibility. The survey figures on this page are Minnesota DNR's own; the water-quality grade comes from EPA Water Quality Portal samples. Neither is a forecast of today's bite.
Species recorded at Hen Lake
21 species on the Minnesota DNR list for this lake. A species on the list has been recorded here; it does not mean it is catchable today or in every part of the lake.
Stocking at Hen Lake
No stocking record for Hen Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is an absence in the published record, not a confirmation that the lake is unstocked — some waters are managed as naturally reproducing and never appear in a stocking list at all.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR surveys at Hen Lake average 27.21 bluegill per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 9 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated June 24, 2024. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–7 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Hen Lake A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
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 catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 27.21 | 0.11 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 17.98 | — |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 9.98 | 0.56 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE means more abundant in standardized sampling. This is not a weekly bite report.
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
Common questions
What fish are in Hen Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Hen Lake average 27.21 bluegill per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 9 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated June 24, 2024. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–7 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 21 species for the lake in total. Those are survey results, not a catch report: a net set on one date measures what was in that net.
When was Hen Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Hen Lake is dated June 24, 2024. Survey intervals vary by lake and by species; a gap of several years between surveys is normal and does not mean the record is missing.
Is Hen Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Hen Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is not the same as a confirmed unstocked lake: it means no stocking document was published for it in the records this page draws on.
Does the water-quality grade tell me how Hen Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Hen Lake A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Before you eat what you catch
A water-quality grade is not a consumption advisory. Mercury and PCB advice for Minnesota waters comes from MDH, and it is issued per species and per size class — a lake can grade well and still carry a meal limit on larger predator fish.
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