Otsego Lake in Michigan

Trip Overview

Otsego Lake is 4.5 miles long and about 3/4 mile wide. I completed a circumnavigation today that took about 2 1/2 hours. I left Otsego County Park at 7:00am and the weather was great. Air temp. was about 52f and water temp about the same. There was only a slight breeze but the water was a little choppy. This had to do with the fact that the Otsego Lake Fly-In was going on that morning and there were about thirty sea-planes in the area. This made for some fancy navigating. This is a great lake for workouts and moonlight paddling. The water is usually glass early in the morning and later in the evening. There is heavy boat traffic from about 9:00am to 6:00pm. The Sherrif's department does a good job of patrolling the lake.

Accommodations:

There are campgrounds at the park along with bathrooms and showers. There is a state park located on the east side of the lake.

Fees:

A day pass for the county park is $2.50, a season pass is $8.00 for county residents and $15.00 for all others.

Directions:

Take Interstate I-75 to exit 282. Turn left on M-32 to the first light. Take a left on Dickerson Rd. to the end where it meets West Otsego Lake Rd. Take a right on West Otsego and follow it to the entrance of Otsego County park.