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Tamarack Bay Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Little Cut Foot Lake. Both are in Minnesota.

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated

Little Cut Foot Lake and Tamarack Bay 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. The readings are close: Little Cut Foot Lake and Tamarack Bay Lake sit within a narrow band of each other on phosphorus, chlorophyll-a and clarity. The per-parameter table below shows where the small differences actually live.

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.

Little Cut Foot Lake

Itasca County, Minnesota

Murky, only visible to about 6.6 ft.

Tamarack Bay Lake

Cass County, Minnesota

Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft.

Side-by-Side Metrics

MetricLittle Cut Foot LakeTamarack Bay Lake
Water Clarity6.6 ft11.5 ft Better
Phosphorus42 µg/L26 µg/L Better
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No data4.6 µg/L
Maximum Depth20 ft69.8 ft Better
Surface Area619 acres56,471 acres
Public AccessYesYes
Fish Species1520 Better
Trophic Stateeutrophicmesotrophic

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.

Verdict

Tamarack Bay Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Little Cut Foot Lake. Water clarity: 11.5 ft vs 6.6 ft. For fishing diversity, Tamarack Bay Lake also leads with 20 species.

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Where to stay near Little Cut Foot Lake and Tamarack Bay Lake

Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Little Cut Foot Lake and Tamarack Bay 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.

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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.