Houghton Lake near Houghton Lake Heights water level

Name: Houghton Lake near Houghton Lake Heights water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

Lake, Houghton Lake, Michigan, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Surface elevation

1,137.51ft

Measured Oct 16, 2026, 05:15 PM EDT (58 min ago)

Water level: 7.90 ft

History

Not enough readings for a chart yet. History builds up with every update.

What this means

Nothing unusual at Houghton Lake near Houghton Lake Heights right now: the lake level of 1,137.51 ft is in the normal range for mid-October.

Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1,137.49 ft and 1,137.60 ft.

Many reservoirs reach their low point of the year in fall, before winter rain and snow start the refill.

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Swimming and boating at Houghton Lake near Houghton Lake Heights

At a normal level, ramps and marinas generally run as usual, and fishing tends to follow the season more than the water level.

If you swim, pick a spot with an easy way out, and remember that drop-offs move as the level changes.

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:56 AM Sunset 06:55 PM Daylight 10h 59m First quarter 34 %

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Higgins Lake near RoscommonLake, Higgins Lake	5.35 ft	Very high	+0.03 ft	5.6 mi
Butterfield Creek at S McVety Road near ButterfieldRiver gauge, Butterfield Creek	12.48 ft	No reference yet		11 mi
Lake St Helen at St HelenLake, Lake St Helen	6.35 ft	Normal	+0.08 ft	18 mi
Au Sable River near Red OakRiver gauge, Au Sable River	3.57 ft	Below flood stage		31 mi
Boardman River above Brown Bridge Road near MayfieldRiver gauge, Boardman River	3.46 ft	Below flood stage		36 mi
Otsego Lake near GaylordLake, Otsego Lake	3.74 ft	Very high	+0.03 ft	37 mi
Tobacco River at Glidden Road at BeavertonRiver gauge, Tobacco River	2.57 ft	Below flood stage		40 mi
East Branch Pine River near TustinRiver gauge, East Branch Pine River	41.9 cfs	High		42 mi

Questions and answers

How often is Houghton Lake near Houghton Lake Heights updated?

Several times an hour. New readings from U.S. Geological Survey appear here as they arrive. Latest: Oct 16, 2026, 05:15 PM EDT.

What is the water level of Houghton Lake near Houghton Lake Heights today?

On Oct 16, 2026, 05:15 PM EDT, the surface elevation was 1,137.51 ft. Normal.

Is the level of Houghton Lake near Houghton Lake Heights normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

How often is this data updated?

U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are published under the Public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:442400084472801 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.40444, -84.79103 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Surface elevation `elevation`	1,137.51 ft	2026-10-16 21:15	Provisional
Water level `stage`	7.90 ft	2026-10-16 21:15	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Houghton Lake near Houghton Lake Heights (usgs:442400084472801). Accessed October 16, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/michigan/houghton-lake-near-houghton-lake-heights

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer