Houghton Lake is in Roscommon County, and in the Northern Region. This community is located southeast of Traverse City between Lake City and West Branch along Highway 55 near Houghton Lake.

Houghton lake got its name after the first state geologist in Michigan, Douglas Houghton, who explored the area around 1852. The settlement began developing around the lake during the lumbering days.

Houghton Lake is Michigan's largest inland Lake. It is primarily a shallow, murky lake, known to be no deeper than 30 feet.