Houghton Lake
Roscommon County, Michigan20,070 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Houghton Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · PCBs
- 21 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Houghton Lake in Roscommon County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 21 ft. Surface area: 20069.7 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Houghton Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 21 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Houghton Lake is a 20,070-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Roscommon County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 21 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 6 documented fish species including Black crappie, Longnose gar, and Shorthead redhorse. Public access is available with 3 public boat landings. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Roscommon County, Houghton Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2023-08-28. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
At about 20,000 acres, Houghton Lake is large enough that where you stay decides which shore you see most of. It has 3 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Houghton Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Houghton Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch3 documented ramps
- Fishing6 species recorded
- Big water20,070 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Houghton Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Houghton Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Houghton Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Houghton Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft. Phosphorus 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2 µg/L. TSI 45.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 14µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 45 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Houghton Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Jul 6, 2026, 5:15 AM from gauge 442400084472801 (Houghton Lake Nr Houghton Lake Heights, MI). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
Lake Details
Max depth
21 ft
Surface area
20,070 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Recreation & Access
- Houghton LakePublic
- Houghton Lake State Forest ParkPublic
- Houghton Lake MarinaSemi-private
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Houghton Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Houghton Lake in Roscommon County, Michigan — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Houghton Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Houghton Lake → · more Michigan lake trips
Follow Houghton Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Houghton Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2022–2023). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
EPA Impairment Status
Houghton Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040601020104-02 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
3 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Houghton Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Houghton Lake WwtpHoughton Lake · 3.7 mi away · NPDES MI0028312Recent violation
- Amoco Oil CoHoughton Lake · 0.4 mi away · NPDES MIG080159
- Mi Consulting & EnvironmentalHoughton Lake · 2.8 mi away · NPDES MIG080956
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Roscommon County
Frequently asked questions about Houghton Lake
Where is Houghton Lake?
- Houghton Lake is a lake in Roscommon County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Houghton Lake?
- Houghton Lake in Roscommon County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 21 ft. Surface area: 20069.7 acres.
Is Houghton Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Houghton Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Houghton Lake?
- Houghton Lake has a maximum depth of 21 feet. The lake covers 20069.7 acres.
What fish are in Houghton Lake?
- Fish species found in Houghton Lake include Black crappie, Longnose gar, Shorthead redhorse, Walleye, White sucker, Yellow perch. Houghton Lake is located in Roscommon County, Michigan.
What is the water level at Houghton Lake?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Houghton Lake is 1138.41 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Jul 6, 2026, 5:15 AM at gauge 442400084472801. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.
Are there boat ramps on Houghton Lake?
- Houghton Lake has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Houghton Lake, Houghton Lake State Forest Park, Houghton Lake Marina. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Houghton Lake?
- Houghton Lake has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Michigan's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Houghton Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Roscommon County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
13 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Michigan EGLE - MiCorps
21MICH_MICORPS13 samples · 2022–2023
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory