Houghton Lake

Q: What do you need to know about Houghton Lake?

Houghton Lake is a body of water in MI. During this time of year, fish can be found in Spring (Post-Spawn) patterns. Available species are Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Walleye, Panfish / Bluegill, Northern Pike. Narrow down your tackle selection by adjusting season, water clarity, structure and technique.

Q: What is Houghton Lake's size, depth, and clarity?

Houghton Lake is a 17606.31 acres Lake/Pond with 0 a clear water clarity.

Q: What fish are in Houghton Lake?

Houghton Lake contains the following species of fish: Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Walleye, Panfish / Bluegill, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch.

Published: Nov 1, 2018Updated: Jun 11, 2025

Species

Smallmouth Bass

Season

Spring (Current)

9 Fishing Reports

151 Followers

Overview
Current Conditions
Fishing Reports (9)
Techniques

Houghton Lake Overview

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Top Techniques Reported for Smallmouth Bass + Spring

Drop Shot
1
Hard Topwater (Popping)
1
Shallow Diving Crankbaits (0-6')
1

Total Fishing Reports

Top Species Reported for Spring

Largemouth Bass3 Reports
Smallmouth Bass3 Reports

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Fishing Reports

9 Reports on Houghton Lake

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D-VoN
Silver Ambassador
6/10/23
- Species
  Smallmouth Bass
- Season
  Spring (Post-Spawn)
- Technique
  Topwater Popping
- Structure
  Baitfish
- Forage
  Insects
- Water Temperature
  68°
Fishing topwater during the mayfly hatch. 8-10" of water. Area we fished had a ton of mayfly molts on the surface and they were keyed in. A few largemouth as well.
Andrew Sproull
Bronze Ambassador
6/27/24
- Species
  Smallmouth Bass
- Season
  Summer
- Technique
  Spinnerbaits
- Structure
  Submerged Vegetation
- Forage
  Perch
- Water Temperature
  70°
Super tough lake, don't go out expecting a lot of big fish. I got this one during a fairly windy day, fishing the edges of submerged vegetation. Since houghton lake is a fairly dirty lake, the conditions lined up perfectly for this. Just slow roll it along with occasional pauses, and there's a good chance of a bronzeback biting!
Benjamin Nowak
Gold Ambassador
6/2/21
- Species
  Largemouth Bass
- Season
  Spring (Post-Spawn)
- Technique
  Swim Jigs
- Structure
  Docks
- Forage
  Bluegill
Houghton Lake in late May/Early June will have a mixture of spawning and post-spawn fish depending on moon phase and water temperatures. Typically when I'm fishing around fish in multiple stages of the spawn, I like to target the areas that fish will be moving towards. One of my favorite patterns post spawn on Houghton Lake is targeting docks with deeper water access or back in protected cuts/pockets. Docks offer a variety of benefits for fish: - Docks offer shade in the warmer weather - Staging areas where fish can setup after they've spawn - Ambush feeding spots - A place to spawn (if there are still late spawning fish) Docks also provide fish protection from some of the boat traffic on the lake which makes them ideal areas where fish can hang out. Fishing docks with a swim jig on Houghton Lake is an effective technique because you can hang a jig up in the water column and trick fish into biting even when they're in a neutral mood. It also is a great way to imitate bluegill and crawfish, both of which are main forage types on Houghton