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Roscommon County
Roscommon County overall offers four seasons of fun for the entire family. Thepopular summer season offers numerous locations for boating, swimming and fishing. Fall brings color tours and offers hunting on thousands of acres of state land. Winter and early spring offer ice fishing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling on hundreds of miles of groomed trails. The famous winter ice festival known as Tip-Up-Town is the highlight of winter activities. Needless to say, for both the local resident or frequent visitor, there is never a lack of activity in beautiful Roscommon County.
Roscommon County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 25,469. The county seat is Roscommon. The county has a total area of 580 mi. 521 mi2 of it is land and 58 mi2 of it is water. The total area is 10.08% water. As of the census there were 25,469 people, 11,250 households, and 7,616 families residing in the county.
Roscommon, Michigan
In 1879 the Village of Roscommon was named the County Seat and a Courthouse was built shortly thereafter. Roscommon is the community of choice for many year-round residents, offering a downtown ‘Village’ area for shopping, dining and entertainment. Roscommon is the home of the well-known Fireman’s Memorial and host to the Annual Fireman’s Memorial Festival. Roscommon’s proximity near the AuSable River offers fly fishing and attracts canoe enthusiasts.
Federal, state and local government are the largest employers in the area and compliment employment offered in the Roscommon 120 acre Industrial Park.
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.
Houghton Lake
Houghton Lake is a large lake in Roscommon County. The unincorporated community of Prudenville is at the southeastern end of the lake, while the unincorporated community of Houghton Lake and Houghton Lake Heights is on the southwest and west shores. It is the largest inland lake in the state of Michigan, and one of the largest natural inland lakes in the United States (many man-made impoundments are much larger). The lake is approximately 7 1/2 miles north to south, and about 4 1/2 miles at it widest point. Houghton Lake has 30 miles of total shoreline and its waters cover 20,044 acres. It is an extremely popular resort and fishing area 12 months of the year.
Houghton Lake is the site of Tip-Up-Town USA, a large ice fishing and winter sports festival with several events on the frozen waters of the lake itself. Houghton Lake is named after the first state geologist, Douglass Houghton who explored the area.
The lake receives the waters of Higgins Lake through the Cut River and, in turn, is the headwaters for the Muskegon River, which flows out of the North Bay in the northwest corner of the lake. The lake is partially within four townships: Markey Township on the northeast, Denton Township on the southeast, Roscommon Township on the southwest, and Lake Township on the northwest. The lake is considered a warm water, shallow lake, with the average depth being 7 1/2 feet. The lake is a prolific fish factory, offering almost every species of game and panfish found in Michigan with the exception of the trout/salmon families, the sturgeon, and white bass. Common catches include northern pike, bluegill, walleye, crappie, yellow perch and largemouth bass.
Michigan State Highway 55 follows the southern shore, while U.S. Highway 27 passes just to the west. Michigan State Highway 18 and Interstate 75 pass just to the east.
The Houghton Lake Community School district covers over 500 square miles and provides exceptional educational opportunities. Houghton Lake High School is a four year secondary school and fully accredited by the University of Michigan. Houghton Lake is a year-round resort community offering four seasons of activities. The area has become a community of choice for many year-round residents. Numerous service facilities, social organizations, twenty plus churches, several fine golf courses, amusement parks and a variety of shopping opportunities, make Houghton Lake a comfortable place to call home.
Lake James
Lake James is a beautiful man made lake, located just East of Prudenville, with over 300 acres of water at an average depth of 12 feet. The lake is approximately 1.5 miles in length and the widest point is three quarters of a mile. The primary source of water is the Denton Creek - originating in the state forest. Lake James is made up of many fingers offering nearly 10 miles of shoreline. There are 12 private lakefront parks and one offshore park provided for the use of property owners and their guests. Moosehead Park, on the Southwest side of the lake, is a large secured area for the launching of boats. Each property owner receives their own key to the secured gate.
Lake James is included in the Houghton Lake School District and with its convenient location also enjoys the same year-round amenities that service the Houghton Lake - Prudenville area.
St. Helen
Lake St. Helen is a ‘royal treasure’ for the sportsman. Power boats, jet skis, pleasure craft & anglers enjoy the waters of the lake which residents claim stays relatively quiet for its size. The spring- fed shallow lake consists of three separate bodies of water totaling 2,400 acres. Of the nearly 18 miles of shoreline only 3 miles of the southeast side is developed. St. Helen, with a population of approximately 4,100, hosts the annual Bluegill Festival; Four days of carnival, games, music & a tribute to the ‘little fish’ that made St. Helen famous!