Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 1, 1996
Rush Lake FishingNRNot rated for water quality
Minnesota DNR surveys at Rush Lake average 14.72 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 2 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 1, 1996. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 1–16 inches. In Pine County, Minnesota, Rush Lake has no letter grade — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Water clarity averages 12.8 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 Rush Lake
10 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 Rush Lake
No stocking record for Rush 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 Rush Lake average 14.72 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 2 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 1, 1996. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 1–16 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Rush Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1996-07-01 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 21.21 | 0.16 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 14.72 | 0.44 lb |
| Northern Pike | 5.31 | 1.25 lb |
| Black Crappie | 2.77 | 0.24 lb |
| Yellow Bass | 2.50 | 0.47 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 0.94 | 0.22 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
Largemouth Bass
Northern Pike
Black Crappie
From the 1996-07-01 survey
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…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Rush Lake. 2 reports 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
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Rush (0363)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Rush Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Rush Lake average 14.72 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 2 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 1, 1996. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 1–16 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 10 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 Rush Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Rush Lake is dated July 1, 1996. 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 Rush Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Rush 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 Rush Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Rush Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. 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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