Living on Rush-Hen Lake: Between Cross and Whitefish
What daily life is like on Rush-Hen Lake, a deep, plant-rich lake that sits between Whitefish and Cross on the chain.
Some lakes announce themselves. Rush-Hen tends to reveal itself slowly. You come through a channel, the shoreline opens up, and you find a lake with its own character: deep in places, weedy and sheltered in others, with islands and bays to explore.
For many owners, that sense of arriving somewhere is part of the appeal.
The lake by the numbers
Rush-Hen covers 858 acres with 14.77 miles of shoreline, and it reaches 105 feet at its deepest. About 47 percent of the lake is 15 feet or less. The DNR describes it as the fourth largest lake in the Whitefish Chain, about two miles long west to east and roughly a mile wide on average. In the DNR's records, the lake also appears simply as "Rush."
The DNR calls the water mesotrophic and hard, and relatively clear. Its mean summer clarity reading in 2009 was 12 feet.
Own on Rush-Hen and wondering about value? Ask for a private valuation. Looking to buy? Start on the buyer's page.
Shoreline character
The shoreline has two moods. The DNR describes hard bottom of sand, gravel and rubble along the eastern shore, around the islands and on other exposed shores. Softer silt and muck settle in sheltered areas, including small bays.
Plants are a big part of Rush-Hen's personality. In the DNR's 2010 survey, plants grew as deep as 30 feet, and nearly every site at 15 feet or less had vegetation. Waterlilies and other floating-leaf plants cover meaningful areas, and the DNR's sensitive lakeshore report counted Rush-Hen among the lakes with the largest floating-leaf beds on the chain. Wild rice was mapped at about an acre.
For a homeowner, that means a quiet, natural-feeling shoreline in many spots, and a lot-by-lot difference in what you find off the dock. One lot may have firm sand. Another may have a lily-pad bay out front.
Boating routes
Rush-Hen has no public launch of its own. It sits between Whitefish and Cross, and boats reach it through channels. The DNR describes a navigable channel from Whitefish Lake into Rush-Hen, which flows on to Cross Lake.
From a dock on Rush-Hen, you can head one way toward Lower Whitefish and the big water of the upper chain, or the other way to Cross Lake, the town of Crosslake and the channels to Daggett and Little Pine.
Nearest town
Crosslake is the nearest town, with groceries, dining and services close by. Depending on where you are on the lake, that may be a short drive or an easy boat ride through to Cross Lake.
Quiet or busy?
Because there is no public launch on the lake itself, Rush-Hen does not see launch-ramp traffic of its own. Boats do pass through on the way between Whitefish and Cross, especially on summer weekends, and the channels carry steady traffic. Bays and the stretches away from the main route tend to feel calmer. Visit a lot at different times before you decide.
Stewardship
Owning here comes with a role in caring for the water. The DNR designated the whole chain as infested with zebra mussels in 2013. In September 2024, the DNR confirmed starry stonewort, an invasive algae, at a public water access on the channel between Rush Lake and Whitefish Lake, the first confirmation on the Whitefish Chain. The Whitefish Area Property Owners Association has been part of the response. Cleaning boats and equipment, and keeping native plants along your shore, both help.
Questions
Can you drive a boat to Rush-Hen Lake?
Yes, by channel. There is no public launch on Rush-Hen itself; boats come in from Cross Lake or Lower Whitefish.
Is Rush-Hen Lake clear?
The DNR describes it as relatively clear, with a mean summer clarity reading of 12 feet in 2009.
What is the shoreline like?
A mix of hard sand and gravel on the eastern shore and around the islands, and softer, weedier bottom in sheltered bays.
Keep exploring
See the buyer's guide for Rush-Hen, the fishing guide, the Rush-Hen Lake guide, or all lake guides.
I would be glad to show you around Rush-Hen and talk through what life looks like on each part of the lake. I am David Olson, a broker and 4th-generation builder with a family cabin on the Whitefish Chain in Crosslake. Call or text 218.513.2677 or email david@whitefishpropertyfinder.com.
Sources: Minnesota DNR, Aquatic Vegetation of Rush-Hen Lake (2010); Minnesota DNR, Sensitive Lakeshore Survey, Whitefish Chain (2012); Minnesota DNR, Crow Wing County shoreland classifications; Brainerd Dispatch, starry stonewort confirmed in Rush Lake; Whitefish Area Property Owners Association, starry stonewort; Minnesota DNR news release, July 16, 2013.