Houghton Lake

Houghton Lake
Watershed and Waterways
Click on blue text below for satellite view


Click here for Houghton Lake water levels
 
Houghton Lake Flats
 Lying three and one-half miles between M-55
and the Muskegon River, this area was a wetland
connected to Houghton Lake, providing spawning
habitat for fish and habitat for waterfowl 
and aquatic mammals. After the building of US-27
in the early 1960's the wetlands were changed
dramatically. To help with this problem in 1964 and 1966
a series of dikes and pumping stations were built for
water level control of the 670 acre Flats, pumping
the water back into Houghton Lake. There are eight
platforms around the flats for osprey nesting, also
the Flats provide the most visible heron rookeries in
the state. Check out the deck along Old US-27 for a great
place to observe the wildlife or drop a
line in the water and go fishing.



Muskegon River near Meads Landing




McKinley's Sandy Shores Waterway
North shore east bay




Duck Lake south of Houghton Lake



Boyce Lake south of Houghton Lake

Swamp south of Houghton Lake

Backus Lake




Backus Creek flooding
 Looking south from the dam on a cold fall day


Same view on a dry fall day


Creek flowing from Backus Creek Flooding
to Little Mud Lake Flooding.
Little Mud Lake Flooding flows into
Backus Creek then joins the Cut River
finally flowing into Houghton Lake.



Reedsburg dam
Muskegon River from Houghton Lake
on it's way to Lake Michigan.




Denton Creek Flooding looking south east.
Denton Creek flows into Lake James, Lake James
into Denton Creek, Denton Creek into Houghton Lake.