4 miles northeast of Ottertail
Otter Tail County, Minnesota · 46.4870° N, 95.5291° W
Directions to Rush Lake (W) Public Water Access SiteApple Maps
Directions open in Google or Apple Maps, to the Minnesota DNR public access sites (2 listed; this is the first).
Updated 15 Oct 2026, 5:12 pm EDT.
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Minnesota DNR lake survey, fetched 15 Oct 2026. Not for navigation.
2 public access sites on Rush Lake.
Minnesota DNR public water accesses, fetched 15 Oct 2026.
Minnesota DNR stocking reports list 5 stockings of Rush Lake in 5 of the years 2016 to 2025. The most recent, in 2025, included 1,662,000 walleye fry. Species stocked: walleye.
Latest: 2025: 1,662,000 walleye fry.
Source: Minnesota DNR Fisheries (LakeFinder stocking reports), fetched 15 Oct 2026. How we measure
Measured from Minnesota DNR contours. How we measure
Minnesota DNR’s latest standard fish survey of Rush Lake was in August 2025: 12 gill nets and 12 trap nets caught 15 species.
Walleye per gill net, standard surveys: 2013 9.1 · 2016 7.9 · 2019 7.2 · 2022 6.8 · 2025 9.9
Bluegill per trap net, standard surveys: 2013 26 · 2016 33 · 2019 19 · 2022 18 · 2025 9.6
Walleye: 149 measured, 5 to 25 in, half 12 in or longer; average 0.73 lb, below normal (normal 1.2–2.1 lb).
Northern pike: 20 measured, 12 to 26 in, half 19 in or longer; average 1.5 lb, below normal (normal 1.6–2.8 lb).
Largemouth bass: 10 measured, 5 to 17 in, half 10 in or longer; average 0.58 lb, normal (normal 0.2–0.8 lb).
Black crappie: 14 measured, 4 to 12 in, half 10 in or longer; average 0.59 lb, normal (normal 0.3–0.6 lb).
Bluegill: 152 measured, 3 to 8 in, half 6 in or longer; average 0.24 lb, above normal (normal 0.1–0.2 lb).
Also caught: bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, shorthead redhorse, tullibee (cisco), white sucker, yellow bullhead.
Source: Minnesota DNR Fisheries lake survey, 11 Aug 2025, via LakeFinder, fetched 15 Oct 2026. Normal range: DNR’s range for lakes of the same class (43 classes, grouped by water chemistry and shape). Each line has its own scale. How we measure
Measured water clarity averages about 6 ft: the Secchi depth across 7 readings, 2007–2025.
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and volunteer Secchi readings, via Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, fetched 15 Oct 2026.
Minnesota DNR lake survey; straight-line miles.
Rush Lake is 68 feet at its deepest point, measured by Minnesota DNR survey. It covers 5,276 acres.
Yes. 2 public access sites are listed: Rush Lake (W) Public Water Access Site; Rush Lake (E) Public Water Access Site.
Yes. Minnesota DNR stocking reports list 5 stockings of it in 5 of the years 2016 to 2025. The most recent, in 2025, included 1,662,000 walleye fry.
Minnesota DNR’s August 2025 standard survey caught 15 species, most often bluegill, walleye, yellow perch and pumpkinseed.
About 63% of the lake's area is deeper than 10 feet, measured from Minnesota DNR depth contours.