Houghton Lake | |
---|---|
Location | Roscommon County, Michigan |
Coordinates | 44°20′20″N84°43′30″W / 44.33889°N 84.72500°W |
Type | mesotrophic |
Primary inflows | Cut River |
Primary outflows | Muskegon River |
Basin countries | United States |
Max. length | 10.0 mi (16.1 km) |
Max. width | 5.5 mi (8.9 km) |
Surface area | 20,044 acres (8,112 ha) |
Average depth | 7.5 ft (2.3 m) |
Max. depth | 22 ft (6.7 m) |
Residence time | 1.2 years |
Shore length1 | c. 30 miles (48 km) |
Surface elevation | 1,138 feet (347 m) [1] |
Settlements | Prudenville, Houghton Lake, Houghton Lake Heights |
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. |
Houghton Lake is a lake in Roscommon County, Michigan. The unincorporated community of Prudenville is at the southeastern end of the lake, while the unincorporated communities of Houghton Lake and Houghton Lake Heights are on the southwest and west shores. It is the largest inland lake in the state of Michigan, and one of the largest natural inland lakes in the United States (many man-made impoundments are much larger). The lake is approximately 10 miles (16 km) north to south, and about 5+1⁄2 miles (8.9 km) at it widest point. Houghton Lake has c. 30 miles (48 km) of total shoreline and its waters cover 20,044 acres (81.12 km2). It is an extremely popular resort and fishing area year round. Houghton Lake is the site of Tip-Up-Town USA, a large ice fishing and winter sports festival with several events on the frozen waters of the lake itself. Houghton Lake is named after the first state geologist, Douglass Houghton who explored the area. [2] Houghton County, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is also named after Douglass Houghton. The name of the lake is pronounced by Michigan citizens as "HOTE'n" (/ˈhoʊʔn̩/).
The lake receives the waters of spring-fed Higgins Lake through the Cut River and, in turn, is the headwaters for the Muskegon River, which flows out of the North Bay in the northwest corner of the lake. The lake is partially within four townships: Markey Township on the northeast, Denton Township on the southeast, Roscommon Township on the southwest, and Lake Township on the northwest. The lake is mid to late mesotrophic in profile, and is considered to be a warm water, shallow lake, with the average depth being 7½ feet. The deepest spot is a small hole in East Bay that has been sounded to 22 feet (6.7 m), but it is rare to encounter depths of greater than 17 feet (5.2 m) in the lake. The lake offers almost every species of game and panfish found in Michigan with the exception of the trout/salmon families, the sturgeon, the muskellunge, and white bass. Common catches include northern pike, bluegill, walleye, crappie, yellow perch and both largemouth bass and smallmouth bass.
M-55 follows the southern shore, while U.S. Highway 127 passes just to the west. M-18 and Interstate 75 pass just to the east.
Houghton Lake is notable for the annual winter carnival, Tip Up Town USA, [3] which is held during two consecutive weekends in January. The name for the festival originated from the flag-like devices - "tip-ups", used for ice fishing. The USA was added later. Tip Up Town Badges, required for entry to the Tip Up Town site on the south shore of Houghton Lake, are sold annually at local businesses.
Roscommon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,459. The county seat is Roscommon. The county was founded in 1840 and organized in 1875.
Torch Lake Township is a civil township of Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population of the township was 1,893. The township was established in 1886 and is one of the largest townships in Houghton County by area. It is surrounded by the Torch Lake, the Portage Lake, and Lake Superior. As well as a large number of unincorporated communities, the township also includes a portion of the Baraga State Forest which lies along the shores of Keweenaw Bay. The township borders Schoolcraft Township to the north, Osceola Township to the northwest, and Chassell Township to the southwest. The community of Hubbell serves as the major population center of the township, as well as hosting the Township Hall itself. The mostly uninhabited 91-acre Rabbit Island, located offshore in Lake Superior, is a part of the township.
Denton Township is a civil township of Roscommon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,293 at the 2020 census.
Houghton Lake is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Roscommon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,294 during the 2020 census, making it the largest unincorporated community in Northern Michigan. The CDP is located within Denton, Lake, and Roscommon townships.
Prudenville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Roscommon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,643 at the 2020 census. Prudenville is located within Denton Township.
Roscommon Township is a civil township of Roscommon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,397 at the 2020 census.
Burt Lake is a 17,120 acres (69.3 km2) lake in Cheboygan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The western shore of the lake is on the boundary with Emmet County. The lake is named after William Austin Burt, who, together with John Mullett, made a federal survey of the area from 1840 to 1843.
Mullett Lake is a lake in Cheboygan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The lake is named after John Mullett, who, together with William A. Burt, made a federal survey of the area from 1840 to 1843. A neighboring lake was named after Burt. Historically, Mullett Lake has been recorded as Mullet Lake, Mullet's Lake, and Mullett's Lake on maps and documents.
Hubbard Lake is a lake in Alcona County in Northern Michigan. The lake covers 8,850 acres (36 km²) and is seven miles (11 km) long (north-south) and two miles (3 km) wide. It has a maximum depth of 85 feet with an average depth of 32.6 feet. The lake spans three townships: Caledonia, Alcona, and Hawes.
Brevort ( is an unincorporated community in Mackinac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The community is located along the northern shores of Lake Michigan along U.S. Route 2 within Moran Township. As an unincorporated community, Brevort has no legally defined boundaries or population statistics of its own.
Higgins Lake is a large recreational and fishing lake in Roscommon County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The 9,900 acres (4,000 ha) lake is known for its deep, clear waters and is the 10th largest in Michigan with a shoreline of 21 miles (34 km). It is named after Sylvester Higgins, the first chief of the topographical department of the Michigan Geological Survey. It has a maximum width of 4 miles (6.4 km) and a length of 7 miles (11 km) with a maximum depth of 135 feet (41 m). The mean depth is 44 feet (13 m) and the lake contains almost 20 billion cubic feet of water. Its retention time is about 12.5 years. The lake's watershed covers 19,000 acres (7,700 ha). The twin-lobed lake receives half of its water from submerged springs, six percent from incoming streams, and the remainder from direct rainfall and runoff. It drains into Marl Lake by the Cut River which runs into Houghton Lake and eventually to Lake Michigan via the Muskegon River. A mile north of the lake, water flows into the Lake Huron watershed.
Lake Chicago was a prehistoric proglacial lake that is the ancestor of what is now known as Lake Michigan, one of North America's five Great Lakes. Formed about 13,000 years ago and fed by retreating glaciers, it drained southwest through the Chicago Outlet River.
Gull Lake is a lake in the U.S. state of Michigan, located mostly in Kalamazoo County with the northern tip extending into Barry County. The nearest major cities are Kalamazoo, 11 miles (18 km) to the southwest, and Battle Creek, 13 miles (21 km) to the southeast. The name was probably derived from the seagulls which at times come inland from Lake Michigan in large numbers. The total surface area of this lake is 2,030 acres (8 km2), with maximum depths of 110 feet (34 m). This deep, clear lake has numerous holes in excess of 75 ft (23 m), and has one large island in the south end. The shoreline of the lake is fully developed, and is ringed with homes and cottages. A notable sport fishery exists in the lake for Rainbow trout, Lake trout, Land-locked salmon, Smelt, Smallmouth bass, and Yellow perch. Many other species of fish such as bluegill, Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, and Northern Pike are home to this lake. Given the proximity of this lake to large centers of population, coupled with the extensive number of riparian property owners, with one public access, the lake is extensively used by boaters during the warm summer months, and can become quite congested with water traffic.
Torch Lake is a lake in the Northern Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. At 19 miles (31 km) long, is Michigan's longest inland lake, and at approximately 29.3 mi2 (76 km2), it is Michigan's second largest inland lake, after Houghton Lake. It has a maximum depth of 310 feet (94 m) and an average depth of 111 feet (34 m), making it Michigan's deepest inland lake, as well as the state's largest by volume.
Sylvan Lake is located next to the community by that name in the Town of Beekman, New York, United States. It is the deepest and second-largest lake in Dutchess County.
Manistique Lake, locally called Big Manistique Lake to distinguish it from the other lakes in the Manistique Lakes system, is a 10,130-acre (4,100 ha) lake in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. Approximately 6.5 miles (10.5 km) long and 4 miles (6.4 km) wide, it is one of the largest lakes in the Upper Peninsula. Elevated 686 feet (209 m) above sea level and 105 feet (32 m) above Lake Michigan, Manistique Lake drains into the larger lake through a marshy outlet on the west end of the lake that forms one source of the Manistique River. Relatively shallow, the lake's deepest point is only 20 feet (6.1 m) below the water surface. The average depth is 10 feet (3.0 m).
Otsego Lake is located in northwest Michigan at 44°57′20″N84°41′32″W, south of the city of Gaylord in Otsego County. The lake spans the boundary between Otsego Lake Township to the south and Bagley Township to the north. Otsego Lake State Park is located on the southeast shore of the lake and Otsego County Park is on the northwest shore. The lake has many private cottages and homes with direct access to the lake and parks.
South Manistique Lake is a 4,001-acre (1,619 ha) lake in Mackinac County, in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. Approximately 4.5 miles (7.2 km) long and 2 miles (3.2 km) wide, it is oriented in a southwest–northeast direction. Elevated 692 feet (211 m) above sea level and 6 feet (1.8 m) above Big Manistique Lake, South Manistique Lake drains northeastward through Portage Creek into the larger lake.
Marl Lake is a freshwater lake located in Roscommon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The lake is entirety located within South Higgins Lake State Park. The lake is within Markey Township to the south and Gerrish Township to the north. Covering a surface area of 237 acres (0.96 km2), Marl Lake is a significantly smaller and less-developed lake compared to the nearby Higgins Lake. The two are connected by the Cut River, and upon exiting Marl Lake, the Cut River continues to flow into Houghton Lake.
The Dead Stream Flooding State Wildlife Management Area is a protected wildlife area located in the U.S. state of Michigan. The wildlife management area centers along the Muskegon River about 2 miles (3.2 km) from its source at Houghton Lake. It incorporates rural areas in Enterprise Township within Missaukee County and Lake Township within Roscommon County for an approximate total area of 1,024 acres (4.14 km2). It is controlled and maintained by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.