# Houghton, Higgins and close by info?



## lureluzer (Jul 11, 2013)

A few buddies and I are headed to Michigan this weekend. We are staying on Houghton lake. It will be the first time for us up north and we're basically going in blind. Anyone ever been up there and know any good lakes close by? Not really targeting anything specific but hoping to find some walleye. I'll be calling all of the local bait shops in the area later in the week to get some reports. Any and all information will help. I'll give a daily report good or bad. Thanks guys.


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## JakeL (Jan 14, 2019)

lureluzer said:


> A few buddies and I are headed to Michigan this weekend. We are staying on Houghton lake. It will be the first time for us up north and we're basically going in blind. Anyone ever been up there and know any good lakes close by? Not really targeting anything specific but hoping to find some walleye. I'll be calling all of the local bait shops in the area later in the week to get some reports. Any and all information will help. I'll give a daily report good or bad. Thanks guys.


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## JakeL (Jan 14, 2019)

You’re a trailblazer. I’m sure a lot of us have been kicking around the same idea. It’s hard to find good intel from up there. Best of luck!


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## bobberbucket (Mar 30, 2008)

Pm sent 


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## TDD11 (Aug 5, 2015)

Been contemplating the same trip, just don't think I can swing it this weekend.


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

Im on several of the Houghton lake area FB forums and from what I am hearing there are sooo many downstate folks up there the locals are complaining how busy the lake is, Not seeing much as far as good reports either, fish the deep edges of the weed lines blah blah blah. Latest ice is around 6" and no one advising any snow mobiles unless you know the lake well. check out FB and search for Houghton Lake ice fishing and youll find some pages dedicated. Good Luck.


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## lureluzer (Jul 11, 2013)

I'm sure we'll fish it Friday, I've really only heard negative reports about Houghton for the last week. I'm hoping to fish different water Saturday and Sunday. Even if it's slow fishing in dink city I'll be more than happy.


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## 1MoreKast (Mar 15, 2008)

I've fished Houghton a handful of times during the late spring. It's extremely fertile with all kinds of fish, predominately those pesky hammer handle northerns. Like said above find edges of weed lines and you'll catch everything. I like fishing out of the DNR boat launch - lots of beds and a few good pockets. 

Higgins is tough if you're not from the area. You can ask the bait shops but they get decent perch and lake trout - the lake is pretty deep and very clear. Its a cool lake to check out in the warmer months but if you're going in blind I wouldn't mess with it.

To better prep yourself I'd pay the $9.99 and download Navionics to your phone. Post your report!


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## fishintechnician (Jul 20, 2007)

I’m looking at going up later in the month, our extended forecast still looks crappy. So it may be awhile, and our water temps are back up in the 40’s with this warm rain we have had so it’s going to be a while for us.

That being said I have heard houghton is locked up, Higgins is still wide open, it’s a super dee lake and takes longer to freeze. Lakes Cadillac and Mitchell both have decent ice. I think this is where I’ll end up, honestly it’s only 45 mins west of houghton so if you get bored you could head that way.


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## Rooster (Apr 8, 2004)

Call these guys: https://lymansonthelake.com/

The will hook you up with the latest fishing conditions.

Here is a live cam of the lake: http://www.houghtonlakecam.com/

Not a real busy cove, but when there is good ice, you might see a few shanties on the cam.


I’ve fished Houghton a few times. I have always fished the shallow weed line (I think the whole lake is a shallow weed bed). The pike fishing can be really good, if chasing tip-ups is your thing. I’ve caught some nice gills. There are crappie and perch, but I’ve not had much luck finding more than dinks consistently. Never seen a walleye caught, but I know they are in there. It is a BIG lake, and if I was going this weekend, I would follow the crowd as it would be the best chance for safe ice and locating fish.


Not sure about the conditions, but I would check-out Budd Lake in Harrison (on the way to Houghton, just off 127). I’ve fished it a few times, and caught some very nice gills, crappie, and perch. I’ve never seen them, but there is also supposed to be some nice walleye. Much smaller lake, and MUCH easier to fish on foot than Houghton.


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## Evinrude58 (Apr 13, 2011)

If you are having to go on foot there is a small deep (12ft which is pretty deep for Houghton) hole not far from the south shore. Find American Oak Resort and it is to the left maybe 300 yards and out maybe 100 yards. If you get a lake map at Lyman's the hole is on it. Been a few years so my distances are probably off but we did well there.


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## lureluzer (Jul 11, 2013)

We're staying at a rental on the southeast side of the lake. We are bringing the sleds so it opes up a lot of options for us. I'm really hoping there is a decent crappie bite at the end of our dock. That would make Friday and Saturday nights a ton of fun with a cooler of beer. Lol. I'm going to bring the green led light too. Never tried that through the ice.


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## 1MoreKast (Mar 15, 2008)

lureluzer said:


> We're staying at a rental on the southeast side of the lake. We are bringing the sleds so it opes up a lot of options for us. I'm really hoping there is a decent crappie bite at the end of our dock. That would make Friday and Saturday nights a ton of fun with a cooler of beer. Lol. I'm going to bring the green led light too. Never tried that through the ice.


Don't you know the beauty of ice fishing is you don't need no stinkin cooler?


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## Wacka (Dec 19, 2016)

lureluzer said:


> A few buddies and I are headed to Michigan this weekend. We are staying on Houghton lake. It will be the first time for us up north and we're basically going in blind. Anyone ever been up there and know any good lakes close by? Not really targeting anything specific but hoping to find some walleye. I'll be calling all of the local bait shops in the area later in the week to get some reports. Any and all information will help. I'll give a daily report good or bad. Thanks guys.


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## Wacka (Dec 19, 2016)

Fished Burt lake a few times,did pretty well for walleye.


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## swone (Jan 24, 2007)

I just got back from up there, and all the little lakes that I went to were good to go. I would say that anywhere you want to go try is probably a pretty decent bet. The navionics maps are incredibly accurate for those lakes up there. I caught fish everywhere I went. They weren’t great fish but by God they were fish!


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## swone (Jan 24, 2007)

Rooster said:


> Call these guys: https://lymansonthelake.com/
> 
> The will hook you up with the latest fishing conditions.
> 
> ...


I went over there to Lyman’s and they were really good people. Good prices good bait and good information.Houghton is a totally different deal than St Helen. Houghton is a huge lake, it’s very developed and you can just tell that it really gets rockin when the season is in full swing. They roll up the sidewalk in St Helen by 7:30.


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## swone (Jan 24, 2007)

Also St Helen is only about 15 minutes from the south end of Houghton


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## Bucket Mouth (Aug 13, 2007)

I went up the weekend after Xmas. Fishing was slow but they were all big. Most fish were panfish with a few pike and largies mixed in. 

I go to Korbinski's for bait, they are good people. There's also a spot up the east side of the lake if you're staying in that area. I think it's called Papa's . 

Check the weather forecast this weekend for Prudenville, it doesn't look good.


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## 1MoreKast (Mar 15, 2008)

swone said:


> I went over there to Lyman’s and they were really good people. Good prices good bait and good information.Houghton is a totally different deal than St Helen. Houghton is a huge lake, it’s very developed and you can just tell that it really gets rockin when the season is in full swing. They roll up the sidewalk in St Helen by 7:30.


Oh ya. Lyman's is awesome. A few years back my buddy caught a tagged fish so we got to enter into the $100k sweepsteaks which was one hell of an experience. Came VERY close to winning. I like fishing Houghton just for that chance but I believe Higgins and St. Helen have tagged fish as well. Next time you're up there check out "Back Door Saloon". Don't let the name fool ya hahaha it's a cool bar.


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## swone (Jan 24, 2007)

I believe there was some mention of "daily reports"? I'm really bored and far from curing my fishing fever, the trip up north just made it worse! No regerts.


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## lureluzer (Jul 11, 2013)

well we got a very late start. 2hrs to go. We'll see how tonight goes.


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## swone (Jan 24, 2007)

Dusk and dawn, them fishes turn ON!!!


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## Bucket Mouth (Aug 13, 2007)

Choo gonna miss the evening bite!!!!


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## lureluzer (Jul 11, 2013)

It's rough out here fellas.


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## Evinrude58 (Apr 13, 2011)

looks like what we caught there last year.


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## FISHIN 2 (Jun 22, 2005)

If your looking for some good groceries, there was a small buffet style place on the west side of the lake , past lymans , first main road north, on the right side . Good eats.


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## LoneWolfNoPack (Mar 26, 2012)

lureluzer said:


> It's rough out here fellas.
> View attachment 337117


Get use to those. Houghton lake special. Somethings wrong with that place.


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## Bucket Mouth (Aug 13, 2007)

You're not holding your mouth right - i catch some bigguns from that lake.


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## lureluzer (Jul 11, 2013)




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## lureluzer (Jul 11, 2013)




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## lureluzer (Jul 11, 2013)




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## lureluzer (Jul 11, 2013)

So Friday morning we're ready to leave and I can't find my wallet. Looked everywhere I finally found it 3 hours later in my ice fishing bucket. I have no idea how it got there. That was our late start. We get to the cabin Friday evening and I have no water. Pipes froze and busted. By the time everything was unloaded we didn't feel like loading it back up and going to another cabin so we just chose to stay there with no water for the night. Saturday morning we get up bright and early and get some good tips from the bait shop. Fishing was slow and all the fish were 4 inch perch. It was freezing rain all day long extremely windy all day long. All of our shanties were stiff as boards. Everything was frozen. It was pretty miserable. Sunday the weather was beautiful. But the fishing was exactly the same. We put in the effort. I put over 20 miles on my sled, we moved and moved and moved. I was expecting slow fishing. I didn't think it would be that bad though. With all that said we still had a wonderful time. We got to get out on 8 inches of good ice with the sleds, drink beers and bs.


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## bobberbucket (Mar 30, 2008)

lureluzer said:


> So Friday morning we're ready to leave and I can't find my wallet. Looked everywhere I finally found it 3 hours later in my ice fishing bucket. I have no idea how it got there. That was our late start. We get to the cabin Friday evening and I have no water. Pipes froze and busted. By the time everything was unloaded we didn't feel like loading it back up and going to another cabin so we just chose to stay there with no water for the night. Saturday morning we get up bright and early and get some good tips from the bait shop. Fishing was slow and all the fish were 4 inch perch. It was freezing rain all day long extremely windy all day long. All of our shanties were stiff as boards. Everything was frozen. It was pretty miserable. Sunday the weather was beautiful. But the fishing was exactly the same. We put in the effort. I put over 20 miles on my sled, we moved and moved and moved. I was expecting slow fishing. I didn't think it would be that bad though. With all that said we still had a wonderful time. We got to get out on 8 inches of good ice with the sleds, drink beers and bs.


I would have sold my soul to the devil to be up there on 8” of ice zipping around on a sled chasing fish. Those pictures gave me a nervous twitch! 


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## swone (Jan 24, 2007)

Thanks for the report too bad it was so slow but I’m glad you had a good time


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## fishintechnician (Jul 20, 2007)

Nice report, I’ve been hearing the same reports though. Slow, slow, slow!! We are leaving the 22nd for four days. Staying in lake city which is halfway between houghton and Cadillac. There are a ton of smaller lakes in this area, our plan is to try some less pressured lakes? We will see how it goes


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## 1MoreKast (Mar 15, 2008)

fishintechnician said:


> Nice report, I’ve been hearing the same reports though. Slow, slow, slow!! We are leaving the 22nd for four days. Staying in lake city which is halfway between houghton and Cadillac. There are a ton of smaller lakes in this area, our plan is to try some less pressured lakes? We will see how it goes


Right on man make sure you post a report! Looks like I'll be up Houghton myself Feb. 15th with a few guys so looking forward to your report! Oh yeah - a decent amount of less pressured lakes up there to really explore. Good luck!


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## TDD11 (Aug 5, 2015)

fishintechnician said:


> Nice report, I’ve been hearing the same reports though. Slow, slow, slow!! We are leaving the 22nd for four days. Staying in lake city which is halfway between houghton and Cadillac. There are a ton of smaller lakes in this area, our plan is to try some less pressured lakes? We will see how it goes


I'll send you a PM. I was thinking of doing the same thing - trying to find some smaller less pressured lakes and heading up there this weekend.


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## swone (Jan 24, 2007)

TDD11 said:


> I'll send you a PM. I was thinking of doing the same thing - trying to find some smaller less pressured lakes and heading up there this weekend.


The Navionics app was extremely accurate on both lakes I used it on in Michigan, nothing like the horrible errors here


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## swone (Jan 24, 2007)

I also caught fish everywhere I explored. They weren’t great fish but they were fish. I was limited in my mobility because I was trying to do too much into short of time by using the Navionics I was able to find fish over and over again just by looking at the map and going to places that looked “fishy”


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## Evinrude58 (Apr 13, 2011)

There are a couple of us that were hoping to hit Saginaw the weekend of the 10th but thinking we will be headed farther north to around Houghton again.


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## Lil' Rob (Apr 11, 2004)

Looks like the Michigan free fishing weekend is February 15th and 16th...might be a bit crazy up there if we don't get good ice in Ohio.


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## JakeL (Jan 14, 2019)

I’m heading to that area Thursday morning. Staying in saint Helen. I’ll share what ever reports I can. Loosing my mind with excitement.


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## Evinrude58 (Apr 13, 2011)

Go to Hubbard so you can give me some info.


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