Higgins Lake

Higgins Lake   has been rated by National Geographic as the ‘6th most beautiful lake in the world,’ Higgins Lake is a place of unmatched beauty and fun. It’s said that you can view a coin lying on the bottom at a depth of 40’ in the clear, spring fed lake. Higgins Lake, known as ‘Queen of the Inland Lakes’, It offers excellent fishing, scenic boating and the depths make it a popular scuba diving location. The 9,900 acre  lake is known for its deep, clear waters and is the 10th largest in Michigan with a shoreline of 21 miles. It has a maximum width of 4 miles and a length of 7 miles with a maximum depth of 135 feet. The lake contains almost 20 billion cubic feet (570 million cubic meters) of water. Its retention time is about 12.5 years.

The lake's watershed covers 19,000 acres. The twin-lobed lake receives half of its water from submerged springs, 6% from incoming streams and the remainder from direct rainfall and runoff. It drains into Marl Lake by the Cut River which runs into Houghton Lake and eventually to Lake Michigan. A mere mile north of the lake, water flows into the Lake Huron watershed. Sports fish in the lake include perch, trout, smelt, pike, bass, and white fish and are taken both in open water and by ice fishing. For the past 4 years Higgins Lake has been home to the “Winterfest Fishing Derby” held in February sponsored by ERA Houghton Higgins.com and Lymans on the Lake. This event is a one day fishing contest open to everyone and is great for sportsman of all ages, there are tons of prizes passed out each year. 

There are two state parks, South Higgins Lake State Park, with a mile of shoreline, and North Higgins Lake State Park, located, as might be expected from the names, on opposite ends of the lake. Both provide public boat launches, beautiful sand beaches and camping, and are very popular in the summer months. The south park is older, larger, and more developed. The north park is located on what was once the world's largest seedling nursery, a part of the CCC of the 1930s.

Children of year-round residents attend the Gerrish-Higgins school system for a K thru 12 education which includes a very active sports program to complement their accredited educational system.