North Bay Houghton Lake
Roscommon County, MichiganView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for North Bay Houghton Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · PCBs
- Public access
- Limited data
North Bay Houghton Lake in Roscommon County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility.
North Bay Houghton Lake is a lake in Roscommon County, Michigan. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-09-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. North Bay Houghton Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether North Bay 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 North Bay Houghton Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for North Bay 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 4 ft. TSI 57.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 57 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about North Bay Houghton Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
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Fishing North Bay 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
North Bay 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
Nearby Lakes in Roscommon County
Frequently asked questions about North Bay Houghton Lake
Where is North Bay Houghton Lake?
- North Bay 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 North Bay Houghton Lake?
- North Bay Houghton Lake in Roscommon County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility.
Is North Bay Houghton Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. North Bay Houghton Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Can I fish at North Bay Houghton Lake?
- Public access to North Bay Houghton Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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.
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Where this data comes from
3 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS3 samples · 2022
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