Rush Lake (Jackson County)
Jackson County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 32003100
DNR records show 3 stocking entries at Rush Lake (Jackson County) since 2021, most recently northern pike fingerlings in 2025 (274 fish).
- Rush Lake (Jackson County) has 3 DNR stocking records across 3 years (2021-2025): northern pike (3).
- The most-stocked species by count is northern pike: 569 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 3 ft; surface area 243 acres, 243 littoral acres, 3.5 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Jackson County, nearest town Sioux Valley; DNR lake number (DOW) 32003100.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Northern Pike | fingerlings | 274 | 68.5 |
| 2023 | Northern Pike | fingerlings | 154 | 22.0 |
| 2021 | Northern Pike | fingerlings | 141 | 117.5 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| O | FWS | - NO BOAT ACCESS; ACCESS TO THE LAKE IS THRU A FEDERAL WATERFOWL PRODUCTION AREA ON NE. |
DNR fish survey, 2007
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 135.00 | 135 | 0.27 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 58.00 | 58 | 0.34 |
| Common carp | Standard gill nets | 26.00 | 26 | 1.63 |
| Bigmouth buffalo | Standard gill nets | 8.00 | 8 | 0.32 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 4.00 | 4 | 1.08 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 3.00 | 3 | 0.30 |
| Freshwater drum | Standard gill nets | 3.00 | 3 | 0.41 |
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 6.00 | 18 | 0.56 |
| Bigmouth buffalo | Standard trap nets | 6.00 | 18 | 5.37 |
| White sucker | Standard trap nets | 5.00 | 15 | 1.93 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 4.67 | 14 | 0.42 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 2.67 | 8 | 0.36 |
| Common carp | Standard trap nets | 2.33 | 7 | 4.80 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 1.00 | 3 | 2.81 |
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.
Rush Lake is a 293-acre lake with a maximum depth of around 4 feet, located near the Iowa-Minnesota border. Rush is almost continuously connected via the outlet to Anderson Slough, Pearl, and Loon Lakes. Because of this connection, fish tend to immigrate and emigrate throughout this chain of lakes. Rush Lake has only been surveyed twice (1988, 2007) and as a result fish community and abundance data is limited. This is due in part because access has been an issue in the past. In 2001, the problem of access changed with the 40-acre Rush Lake AMA acquisition by the then Division of Fisheries. Although boat access continues to be an issue, plans are underway with the DNR Division of Trails and Waterways to put an unimproved road and boat access within the Rush AMA. Rush has had a long history of low dissolved oxygen and liberalized fishing. Despite this history, Rush continues to spark interest by local sportsmen. Commercial operators have frequently captured fish species such as largemouth bass, channel catfish, and walleye, which are often eradicated during partial winterkills. This may suggest there are spots within the lake that provide refuge and/or the continuous connection to other bodies that repopulate the fishery via immigration. Rush Lake is managed primarily for northern pike and yellow perch and secondarily for crappie. A population assessment was conducted during the week of May 2, 2007 using 1 gill net and 3 trap nets. Based on trap netting data, northern pike numbers could be better. Total lengths ranged from 21.5 to 25.9 inches with an average of 23.4 inches. All northern pike sampled were from the 2004-year class, which may correspond to a 2004 fry stocking. Ironically northern pike fry stocking has not been very successful in many other Windom Area lakes. In 2004, Loon Lake was stocked with northern pike fingerlings and some of those may have immigrated to Rush Lake. If seasonal conditions create good spawning habitat upstream of Rush, northern pike numbers could increase. It would not be surprising to catch a northern while targeting perch on Rush Lake. Based on this quick population assessment, yellow perch numbers were respectable when compared to other Windom Area lakes. Total lengths in gill nets ranged from 5.9 to 11.6 inches with a mean of 9.0 inches. Six year classes of yellow perch were sampled and growth rates are "good", as an Age 5 perch averaged 10.2 inches in length. Yellow perch numbers tend to be cyclical, but the relatively new Rush Aquatic Management Area would provide good shore fishing opportunities for perch. As in…
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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Stocking rows, depths, accesses and survey figures are Minnesota DNR LakeFinder data as of 2026-09-02. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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