East Rush Lake
Chisago County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 13006901
DNR records show 22 stocking entries at East Rush Lake since 2016, most recently muskellunge yearlings in 2025 (97 fish).
- East Rush Lake has 22 DNR stocking records across 8 years (2016-2025): walleye (12), muskellunge (10).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 1,648,321 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 24 ft; surface area 1,494 acres, 1,033 littoral acres, 11.0 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 2.2 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, freshwater drum, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, and 4 more.
- 3 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Chisago County, nearest town Rush City; DNR lake number (DOW) 13006901.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 6/9/1971 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Muskellunge | yearlings | 97 | 59.0 |
| 2025 | Walleye | yearlings | 450 | 150.0 |
| 2025 | Walleye | fingerlings | 333 | 37.0 |
| 2025 | Walleye | adults | 101 | 101.0 |
| 2025 | Walleye | yearlings | 5,420 | 743.0 |
| 2025 | Walleye | fingerlings | 8,432 | 505.0 |
| 2025 | Walleye | adults | 309 | 271.0 |
| 2024 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 517 | 114.9 |
| 2023 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 227 | 47.3 |
| 2023 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 30,889 | 1,343.0 |
| 2022 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 517 | 51.7 |
| 2021 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 394 | 115.0 |
| 2021 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 45 | 45.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 25,517 | 1,343.0 |
| 2019 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 517 | 112.4 |
| 2019 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 537 | 103.3 |
| 2019 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 34,344 | 1,344.0 |
| 2017 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 517 | 102.1 |
| 2017 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 26,860 | 1,343.0 |
| 2016 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 118 | 39.1 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fry | 1,500,000 | 14.7 |
| 2016 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 15,666 | 1,000.0 |
2 fish purchased by the DNR for stocking.
Field note · Minnesota stocks by year, not by truck day: walleye fry go in within weeks of ice-out, fingerlings and yearlings mostly in fall, and stream trout in spring and fall. A row here means the fish went in during that year; DNR adds the year's rows after the fact, so the current year can look empty until winter.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | - State-owned access on the NE end of East Rush Lake in section 11. Two cement plank ramps and parking for 30 vehicles with trailers. |
| concrete ramp | PRI | - Several resorts provide boat launching for a fee. |
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | - Public access on West Rush Lake; access to East Rush through channel. |
DNR fish survey, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | Musky trap nets | 5.12 | 1,448 | 3.17 |
| Northern pike | Musky trap nets | 2.36 | 667 | 5.42 |
| Black crappie | Musky trap nets | 0.49 | 138 | 0.32 |
| Muskellunge | Musky trap nets | 0.17 | 47 | 16.90 |
Catch per net (CPUE) is the DNR survey's count per gill net or trap net set; higher means more of that species were sampled, not a fishing forecast. Top species per gear shown; where we have no verified common name for a DNR code, the code itself is shown.
East Rush Lake is a 1,481-acre lake in northern Chisago County located four miles west of Rush City, MN, and is within the Lower St. Croix River Watershed. The lake has a maximum depth of 24 feet, an average depth of 8 feet, and 70% of the lake is 15 feet or less (1,033 acres). East Rush has four inlets, three small ones from adjacent wetlands and a larger connection to West Rush Lake. It has one outlet, Rush Creek, which flows downstream into the St. Croix River. Recent aquatic vegetation surveys have indicated species diversity was average, which is influenced by low water clarity (2-3 feet) and the presence of non-native plants including Curlyleaf pondweed and Eurasian watermilfoil. Floating and emergent vegetation is limited and mainly located in the southeast bay. Sand is the most common substrate followed by clay and gravel. A high amount of shoreline development is present. There is a state administered concrete access on the northeast shore of the lake with space for 30 rigs. A netting survey using 15 large frame traps nets to target Muskie was conducted on East Rush Lake from April 9 -29, 2024. There were 4 older style trap nets used (4 x 5 foot frames) and 11 (5 x 6 foot frames) large trap nets used. The four older style nets are shorter and were used in very shallow areas in an attempt to get the nets closer to the shoreline. These nets still had to be out from the shoreline to get the throats under water. Some nets were moved during the survey for a total of 18 different net locations. Initial sets were placed where most of the fish had been caught in previous surveys. In addition to Muskies, data was collected from all Northern Pike and Walleye sampled. Data was also collected from a subsample of Black Crappie for a research project. Water temperatures ranged from 50-60 degrees during this survey. Muskies spawn at temperatures within this range, with peak spawning activity typically occurring around 55 degrees. This was the eighth spring Muskie assessment on East Rush Lake, with previous surveys that occurred in 1987, 1992, 1997, 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2017. Nets were checked daily for 20 consecutive days. All Muskie, Northern Pike, and Walleye were measured, while Muskie were weighed, and examined for a tag. If a tag was not present, Muskies were tagged with an individual PIT (Passive Integrated Transponder) tag. A subsample of Black Crappies were measured and ageing structures were collected. A total of 47 Muskies were caught in 2024, 11 females, 34 males, and 1 immature fish. The catch rate in 2024 was 0.17/net, compared to the catch…
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
All Minnesota stockings · every Minnesota lake with a page · state CSV · this lake on DNR LakeFinder
Stocking rows, depths, accesses and survey figures are Minnesota DNR LakeFinder data as of 2026-09-02; contours are the DNR bathymetric survey. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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