Buying a Home on Rush-Hen Lake: What to Check
A clear checklist for buying on Rush-Hen Lake, from the bottom off the dock to channel access, shoreland rules and septic.
Rush-Hen is a lake you get to know lot by lot. One stretch of shore has firm sand and open views. Around the corner is a sheltered bay with lily pads and soft bottom. Both can be wonderful. The trick is knowing which one you are buying, and what comes with it.
Want help sorting it out? Start on the buyer's page and tell me how you plan to use the lake.
1. Frontage, depth and bottom
Rush-Hen covers 858 acres and reaches 105 feet, but about 47 percent of it is 15 feet or less. Depth near shore varies a lot from lot to lot.
The DNR describes hard bottom of sand, gravel and rubble along the eastern shore, around the islands and on other exposed shores, and softer silt and muck in sheltered areas, including small bays. Plants are abundant: in the DNR's 2010 survey, 97 percent of sites at 15 feet or less had vegetation. Floating-leaf plants such as waterlilies cover about 35 acres in water under nine feet.
So walk the shoreline and wade in. Ask how far out the dock runs before there is enough water for your boat and lift. Look in mid to late summer, when plant growth is at its seasonal pattern. Measure frontage with a survey, not a listing estimate.
2. Exposure
A lot on an exposed shore catches more wind and waves, and often more views and breeze. A lot in a sheltered bay may be calmer, with more plants and softer bottom. Think about which direction the home faces for morning and evening light, and visit on a windy day if you can.
3. Shoreland rules
The DNR's shoreland classification list shows Rush-Hen, listed under the DNR name "Rush," as a General Development lake at the state, county and city level. The city classification on that list reflects the City of Crosslake, which runs its own planning and zoning. Confirm the jurisdiction for the specific parcel with the city or Crow Wing County Land Services.
Where the City of Crosslake ordinance applies, its land use fact sheet notes a shoreland protection zone from 0 to 500 feet from public water, a 25 percent impervious surface limit in all residential districts, and that a 120-square-foot water-oriented shed is allowed with a shoreland alteration permit. Below the ordinary high water level, the DNR has jurisdiction.
If you plan to expand, rebuild or add a garage, ask the zoning office about that lot before you make an offer.
4. Septic
The City of Crosslake requires a septic compliance inspection for property transfers, unless a compliance inspection was done within the last three years, or the system was installed within the last five years or holds a valid operating permit. Crow Wing County Land Services also uses a winter window agreement for transfers, allowing the inspection to be completed later, before a stated deadline. Confirm early who orders the inspection and how a failing system would be handled in the purchase agreement.
5. Channels, wake and access
Rush-Hen has no public launch on the lake. Boats come in by channel from Cross Lake or Lower Whitefish. Look at where a property sits relative to the channel you will use most, how much pass-through traffic it sees, and whether there are posted slow-no-wake areas nearby.
Ask about invasive species too. The DNR designated the chain as infested with zebra mussels in 2013, and in 2024 confirmed starry stonewort at a public water access on the channel between Rush Lake and Whitefish Lake. Ask how docks and lifts have been maintained, and how any nearby treatment efforts may affect your shoreline.
6. Winter road and year-round use
Ask whether the road is public or private, who plows it, and whether there is a road association. Check the driveway slope for winter, the heating system, and whether the home is set up for year-round use or seasonal use.
Questions
Does Rush-Hen Lake have a public boat launch?
No public launch on the lake itself. Boats reach Rush-Hen by channel from Cross Lake or Lower Whitefish.
What is the shoreland classification of Rush-Hen?
The DNR lists it, under the name "Rush," as a General Development lake.
Is a septic inspection needed when buying?
Within the City of Crosslake, a compliance inspection is required for property transfers unless an exception applies. Check the parcel's jurisdiction first.
Keep exploring
Read about living on Rush-Hen Lake, the Rush-Hen Lake guide, or all lake guides.
I would be glad to walk lots on Rush-Hen with you and check them against this list. I am David Olson, a broker and 4th-generation builder with 20+ years of experience. Call or text 218.513.2677, email david@whitefishpropertyfinder.com, or visit the buyer's page.
Sources: Minnesota DNR, Aquatic Vegetation of Rush-Hen Lake (2010); Minnesota DNR, Crow Wing County shoreland classifications; City of Crosslake land use fact sheet; City of Crosslake septic FAQ; Crow Wing County Land Services winter window agreement; Brainerd Dispatch, starry stonewort confirmed in Rush Lake; Minnesota DNR news release, July 16, 2013.