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 late October

Surface elevation

1,137.65ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 12:15 AM EDT (15 min ago)

Water level: 8.04 ft

History

7 days

Surface elevation

What this means

Nothing unusual at Houghton Lake near Houghton Lake Heights right now: the lake level of 1,137.65 ft is in the normal range for late October.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1,137.48 ft and 1,137.75 ft.

Lakes and reservoirs often sit lower in fall after a summer of evaporation and use, and recover with winter rain and spring snowmelt.

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

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 64° 35° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 64° 44° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 66° 42° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 64° 45° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 67° 47° – Wind 10 mph

25 Sun 66° 52° – Wind 10 mph

26 Mon 52° 35° 0.37 in Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 08:02 AM Sunset 06:47 PM Daylight 10 hr, 44 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Higgins Lake near RoscommonLake, Higgins Lake	5.32 ft	Very high	−0.01 ft	5.6 mi
Lake St Helen at St HelenLake, Lake St Helen	6.32 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	18 mi
Clam River at Vogel CenterRiver gauge, Clam River	86.2 cfs	Normal	−1.1 cfs	19 mi
Manistee River near GraylingRiver gauge, Manistee River	210 cfs	Normal	−10.0 cfs	20 mi
South Branch Au Sable River near LuzerneRiver gauge, South Branch Au Sable River	216 cfs	Normal	−4.0 cfs	22 mi
Nb Au Sable River at Kelloggs Branch near LovellsRiver gauge, Nb Au Sable River	218 cfs	Very high	−4.0 cfs	28 mi
Au Sable River near Red OakRiver gauge, Au Sable River	3.28 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	31 mi
Boardman River above Brown Bridge Road near MayfieldRiver gauge, Boardman River	3.25 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	36 mi

Questions and answers

Is Houghton Lake near Houghton Lake Heights really 1,137.65 ft deep?

No. 1,137.65 ft is the height of the water surface above sea level (or the agency's vertical datum), not the depth of the water.

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

On Oct 21, 2026, 12:15 AM EDT, the surface elevation was 1,137.65 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Houghton Lake near Houghton Lake Heights rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

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

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

How often is this data updated?

The 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 the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in 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	1,137.65 ft	2026-10-21 04:15	Provisional
Water level	8.04 ft	2026-10-21 04:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Houghton Lake near Houghton Lake Heights (usgs:442400084472801). Accessed October 21, 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