Otsego Lake near Gaylord water level

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

Lake, Otsego Lake, Michigan, United States

Directions

High for mid-October

Surface elevation

1,273.29ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 06:00 PM EDT (41 min ago)

Water level: 3.69 ft

History

7 days

Surface elevation

What this means

At 1,273.29 ft, Otsego Lake near Gaylord is holding more water than usual for mid-October.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 1,273.25 ft – 1,273.43 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

Boating and fishing at Otsego Lake near Gaylord

Slightly high water rarely causes problems on the water itself, though some low-lying shoreline spots may be wet.

Conditions at the shore change with the level, so check with the agency that runs the lake before a trip.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 63° 36° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 63° 43° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 64° 40° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 65° 44° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 67° 48° – Wind 13 mph

25 Sun 59° 49° – Wind 12 mph

26 Mon 48° 36° 0.41 in Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 08:01 AM Sunset 06:47 PM Daylight 10 hr, 46 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Manistee River near GraylingRiver gauge, Manistee River	212 cfs	High	−6.0 cfs	18 mi
Pigeon River near VanderbiltRiver gauge, Pigeon River	78.2 cfs	Normal	−1.1 cfs	19 mi
Nb Au Sable River at Kelloggs Branch near LovellsRiver gauge, Nb Au Sable River	215 cfs	High	−5.0 cfs	20 mi
Jordan River near East JordanRiver gauge, Jordan River	183 cfs	Normal	−2.0 cfs	23 mi
Sturgeon River at WolverineRiver gauge, Sturgeon River	2.88 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	24 mi
South Branch Au Sable River near LuzerneRiver gauge, South Branch Au Sable River	213 cfs	Normal	−5.0 cfs	25 mi
Au Sable River near Red OakRiver gauge, Au Sable River	3.29 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	26 mi
Intermediate Lake at Central LakeLake, Intermediate Lake	7.05 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	29 mi

Questions and answers

Is Otsego Lake near Gaylord really 1,273.29 ft deep?

No. 1,273.29 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 Otsego Lake near Gaylord today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 06:00 PM EDT, the surface elevation was 1,273.29 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Otsego Lake near Gaylord rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Otsego Lake near Gaylord normal?

High for mid-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:445512084415301 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.93057, -84.69225 (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	1,273.29 ft	2026-10-20 22:00	Provisional
Water level	3.69 ft	2026-10-20 22:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Otsego Lake near Gaylord (usgs:445512084415301). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/michigan/otsego-lake-near-gaylord

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