Houghton Lake (/ˈhoʊtən/; HOH-tən) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Roscommon County in the U.S. state of Michigan.

The area around Houghton Lake has been occupied for thousands of years and is within Odawa and Ojibwe homelands.

[6] The treaty was enacted amid rapid surveying of the Lower Peninsula, including the land around Houghton Lake.

They were now designated as passenger lines, taking outdoorsmen to fish, hunt, and experience the beauty of the "north country."

Houghton Lake remains a popular vacation spot in Michigan, attracting thousands of visitors to its shores each year.

In 1927, the "Johnson Dance Hall," presently known as "The Playhouse," was erected and served for many years as the entertainment center for the area.

[10] During a snowstorm that caused reduced visibility, two married couples died when they drove their cars into the frozen lake on New Year's Day, 1957.

[11] The Limberlost Hotel, situated on the shore of Houghton Lake, was destroyed by a fire in 1968 causing one injury but no deaths.

The Ausable Birding Trail, which hosts species like Kirtland's warblers and bald eagles, provides opportunities for birdwatching.

Houghton Lake hosts Tip Up Town USA, Michigan's longest-running and largest winter festival.

[23] Held throughout January, Tip Up Town includes a variety of events such as an opening assembly, the Polar Bear Plunge, fundraising auctions, and contests for honorary titles.

[25][26] The lake is relatively shallow, with a maximum depth of 24 feet, and features extensive weed bed cover, providing an ideal environment for fish.

There are seven public access sites on the lake, and a supporting commercial infrastructure, including bait and tackle shops, marinas, and boat dealerships, has developed around the recreational fishing industry.

Artifacts from this period of northern Michigan's history are housed in a circa 1876 hand-hewn log schoolhouse.