Boot Lake vs Little Mantrap Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Boot Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Little Mantrap Lake. Both are in Minnesota.
Boot Lake and Little Mantrap Lake are both in Minnesota — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. These two sit close on their nutrient and algae readings, Boot Lake versus Little Mantrap Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With readings this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.
Boot Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 19.5 ft down.
Little Mantrap Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 17 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Boot Lake | Little Mantrap Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 19.5 ft Better | 17 ft |
| Phosphorus | 8 µg/L | 8 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.8 µg/L Better | 2.5 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 109 ft Better | 54 ft |
| Surface Area | 385 acres | 381 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 14 Better | 13 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | oligotrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
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Verdict
Boot Lake and Little Mantrap Lake read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Boot Lake: 19.5 ft, Little Mantrap Lake: 17 ft) and what you want from the lake. Boot Lake supports more documented fish species.
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Where to stay near Boot Lake and Little Mantrap Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Boot Lake and Little Mantrap Lake. Both lakes are pinned on the map, so you can see which stays sit nearer the one you pick. Switch to Satellite to see how close each is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Boot Lake and Little Mantrap Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.