About the Big Mantrap Lake Association

Big Mantrap Lake Association is a community-oriented, non-profit organization of lakefront owners on Big Mantrap Lake in Hubbard County, MN.

Our Board of Directors

Mission & Activities

Founded in 1956, its mission is centered on “maintaining and improving the natural resources of Big Mantrap Lake,” a public lake covering about 1,618 acres with 26+ miles of shoreline. The BLMA helps and coordinates:"

  • Water-quality monitoring: Collaborates with volunteers and labs to track lake health metrics like transparency, phosphorus, and chlorophyll since 1989 .

  • Loon Nesting Program: Since 1990, members—affectionately known as “Looners”—build, deploy, and monitor nesting rafts, helping maintain about 24 breeding loon pairs each season .

  • Shoreline restoration & education: Offers programs to protect shoreline habitat and promote best management practices.

Calm lake at sunset with trees along the horizon and a reflection of the sky on the water.
A wooden dock extends into a calm lake with a forest in the background and a clear blue sky.

Conservation & Community Impact

  • Partner of Hubbard County Coalition of Lake Associations (COLA) supporting regional efforts .

  • Volunteers contribute to loon conservation—raft monitoring and removal ensure minimal impact on the lake’s aesthetics .

    Its stewardship has helped sustain Big Mantrap as a mesotrophic, “lake of outstanding biological significance”.

Recent Preservation Milestones

  • In 2025, land trusts acquired nearly 450 acres of adjacent 3M Camp Wonewok, converting them to protected wildlife management areas—actions that were supported and celebrated by BMLA and land owners alike.

“The Big Mantrap Lake Association is committed to protecting water quality, supporting wildlife, preserving the cultural and ecological integrity of the lake, and informing the lake community to keep this special Minnesota waterway healthy and vibrant.”
— BMLA Mission Statement

Rich History & Engagement

  • The name “Mantrap” dates back to early travelers getting “entrapped and baffled” by its many bays and peninsulas. See our History page for more information.

Organization Facts

  • Registered as a 501(c)(3) public charity since 2011 (EIN 41‑1790969), based in St. Paul and led by a volunteer board and steered by grassroots engagement.

“This lake is special —You don’t realize it until you’re here — the loons, the eagles, the water, the serenity.”

— Mark Anderson