Houghton Lake in Roscommon County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Within Roscommon County, Michigan, you have Houghton Lake. It sits at 1,125 feet above sea level. This is big water, about 27.5 sq miles, and in a wind it behaves like a small sea. The edge bends in and out, so one side is usually calmer than the other. Of the waters listed here in Roscommon County, this is the largest. Nearest town is Houghton Lake, 2.5 miles off. Prudenville is 5.3 miles and Roscommon 13 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Houghton Lake

  22 ft is what our records show. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. County-wide records name rock bass, yellow perch and bluegill. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Work Houghton Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 68°F in July and bottoms out near 18°F in January. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near early December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. The season on Houghton Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  State or federal ownership covers this water. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Lake Co-Be-Ac is 5.3 miles off. What applies at Houghton Lake may have changed since it was mapped.