Houghton Lake, almost 21,000 acres in size, has a sandy/silty bottom and a very scenic coastline stretching nearly 30 full miles within Roscommon County.  The lake is fairly shallow, averaging eight and half feet deep overall, but it does have some spots that reach a depth of about 20 feet or slightly more.  Because of the makeup of the lake bottom and it's distinctive size and shape, this body of water supports an abundance of Walleye, Bass and Pike which can make for some outstanding fishing.  No matter if it's winter, spring, summer or fall, fishing here can be very good and is considered one of the undisputed best spots in the state by many experienced anglers.  Not only does the lake offer year round recreation for fishermen, it also attracts those who just like to use the lake for general purposes such as boating and swimming and when safely frozen it makes for a good place to try out your snowmobile too.  There are several quality DNR boat launch sites for the public to use along with a nice state park on the north bay shore which has recently been renovated.

This lake is Michigan's largest inland body of water and it is easily accessible from just about any direction one might be traveling in the northern part of the state.  US-127 is just a half mile or so west of the lake and I-75 is only about 6 miles to the east.  M-55 which is Northern Michigan's main east/west corridor runs just along the south side of the lake and links together the communities of Houghton Lake, Houghton Lake Heights and Prudenville.  These are small towns that offer various local businesses and shops along with many small resorts that cater to the tourism marketplace.  The total year round population of the area is about 15,000 residents but this can swell to 30 or 40 thousand during the height of the summer or winter vacation seasons and holiday weekends.

In general, this part of the state is considered a resort area and is the "gateway" to Northern Michigan's other resort cities just to the north.  These would include Higgins Lake, Grayling, Traverse City, Gaylord, Petoskey, Charlevoix, Harbor Springs, Indian River, Alpena, Rogers City, Cheboygan and Mackinaw City which are all located within 100 miles or less.  The Mackinaw Bridge which connects Michigan's two distinct peninsula's is just 105 miles due north.  If you take a look on the map or travel throughout this part of the state you will find that Houghton Lake is truly the "Hub" or center of northern lower Michigan.   Not only does the lake and surrounding areas offer many activities and seasonal events this part of the state offers other recreational opportunities such as great hunting, camping, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, golf and a host of other year round any season outdoor fun sports.