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Update 3/9/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:20 am  With the snow we had yesterday we've got about 4 to 5 inches on the trails.  We did lose the base before this recent return to winter so do be careful especially on corners and trail entrances from roadways where it tends to be a bit less and somewhat icy.  Trails conditions depending on which trial you are on would be considered fair to good.  The lake is open in some area most especially over towards the east bay as well as a number of smaller fishing holes that widened up and the areas of pressure cracks around Long Point and the East Bay as well.  Temps today are high 31 with a low tonight of 17, NW wind 10 to 15.  Saturday and Sunday are both forecast for low to mid 30's daytime with nightime lows of high teens to low 20's.  Monday is pretty much the same.  Winds all weekend are sitting at NNW 5 to 10 so it sounds like a lovely weekend and a chance to get the sleds out before winter ends this year.  Ice fishing has slowed down with recent ice conditions but there are a few folks out on the lake today.  Just be mindful of ice conditions and the access to the lake on some shorelines is not great, though other areas are doing far better.  If you are sledding near the intersection of Owens and Emery be careful of the lumber machinery working in that area.  Trails south of us down to Meredith are reported in fair condition as well but are rideable.   BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 3/6/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:30 am  Well after losing all our snow and the lake ice, especially the shores, starting to get unstable enough that everyone pulled their shanties - today WE HAVE SNOW!  Originally the forecast was for just an inch or two today and not much else this week but we're definitely getting more than that today!  It's snowing very nicely since sometime overnight and still continuing at the moment.  As well they are now calling for snow tomorrow and overnight into Thursday morning adding maybe another 1 to 3 inches to what ends up falling today.  Isn't that nice to have snow in March and maybe a return to rideable trails for the sleds.  Hard to say at this point if we'll get enough and if temps will allow it to stay for the weekend but we're hoping!  Today's temps are high 32, low 24.  Wednesday and Thursday are forecast for highs around 31 and lows both nights in the low to mid 20's.  Friday high forecast for 31, low 16 with Saturday being about the same.  Sunday it does start to warm up more with a high around 40 and a low of 22.  Just a couple of pics of the snow falling right now here at the resort - hard to believe it was totally bare with no snow last night.  What a pretty day it is!  If you are considering ice fishing please be VERY CAREFUL.  Warmer temps and melting this past week has opened a lot of pressure cracks or fishing holes.  There's been a couple of serious incidents at Gladwin and over at St. Helens so let's not have that happen here on Houghton Lake.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/22/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

1:30 pm  A lot of rain this week plus warm temps have melted away pretty much all of the snow.  Do be careful out on the lake as some areas are a bit unstable especially the pressure cracks near Long Point and near the East Bay.  Also old spear/fish holes have either opened up or are just barely skimmed over with thin ice so be very careful where you drive or walk right now out on the ice.  Thickness is generally 14 to 20 inches around the lake.  Temps today are high of 34, low of 26.  We are expecting freezing rain overnight and into the early part of Friday morning with temps Friday expected to be a high of 40 and a low of 22.  Saturday and Sunday are about the same - high 40, low 28.  No snow or further rain in the forecast so it should be a gorgeous weekend to come up and rides the trails on your ORV or ATV!  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/19/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:35 am  Temps early this week continue to climb with temps today high 40 and a nighttime low of 28.  Tuesday is forecast for a daytime high in the low to mid 50's and a nighttime low of 35.  Wednesday not quite as warm with a high of 35 and a low of 22.  Trails are ORV/ATV friendly but not much snow left for snowmobiling and after the next few days I doubt much pretty white stuff will be on the ground at all.  Hopefully Mother Nature might give us a late winter storm or two at some point.  Lake ice continues to hold with the lake being quite busy and good catches all around.  Had some folks out on our first ATV rentals of the season and they said they had a blast!   BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/16/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

3:15 pm  Wish I had better news to post about the trails but two days of plus 40 temps and sunshine haven't done us a bit of good (pics below).  A lot of trails are down to dirt in some areas, some are very icy and others have minimal snow at best.  Not bad for ATV/ORV's but not much good for snowmobiles unless we get more snow.  Temps today high of 26, low of 13 with SW winds of 5 to 10.  Saturday high 34, low 22, SSW 10 to 20.  Sunday temps continue to climb to a high of 38 and a low of 32, winds SSW 10 to 15.  Monday is forecast for a high of 41, low of 35, SSE winds 5 to 10 and rain beginning around 11 a.m. and continuing overnight.  Lake ice as of today is holding well though snow cover on the lake ice has diminished quite a bit over the past two days.  Thankfully fishing remains fantastic this winter despite the ups and downs of temps and snowfall.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/14/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

2:00 pm  Temps are going up yet again this winter.  What a year this has been with Mother Nature and her moods!  Today's temps will get to a high of 42, low of 33 overnight and winds SW 10 to 15.  Tomorrow highs again in the 40's, nighttime low 15 and winds NSW 10 to 15.  Friday forecast to be a high of 22, low of 10 and winds WNW 10 to 20.  Saturday high of 31, low of 19 and winds SSW 10 to 20.  Sunday should bring us a high of 37, low of 27 and winds SSW 10 to 15.  Trail pics below that were taken this afternoon of trail west trail 6 north and southbound as well as 7 heading towards Leota (before it gets thin).  Trails just south of the lake and heading north are holding in good condition for sledding, however, the trails when they get closer to St. Helen to the east and Leota and Meredith to the south are starting to suffer.  With another warmer than normal day tomorrow I'll be rechecking trails at daybreak on Friday morning to see how they are holding up for the weekend.  Ice fishing remains excellent as it has been all winter and the ice depths are unaffected at this point.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/11/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:50 am  Nothing nicer than waking up to even more snow than was in the forecast.  We got probably 5 inches overnight with a forecast of another 1 to 3 falling today (it's currently snowing).  Today's temps high 23, low 8 and west wind 5 to 10.  Monday forecast for a high of 19, low 4, WNW winds 5 to 10.   Tuesday at bit warmer with a high of 27 and a nightime low of 19, south winds 5 to 10.  Looking beautiful up here folks!  My guests this weekend found the trails north in the best condition with some concerns for the trails as they approach St. Helen's being a bit more beat up than we'd like however last night and today's snow will surely improve that and the southern trails greatly.  Heard most of the weekend catch was pike and walleye with some perch and gills.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/9/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:15 am  We're looking at a good weekend for sledding with snow forecast for overnight Saturday night and into Sunday.  Today's temps high 22, low 11, winds N 10-15.  Saturday and Sunday mid 20's high and lows mid single digits.  Trails continue to improve with a solid 8 to 10 inch base.  Ice conditions are the same with 18 to 24 inches over the lake.  Ice fishing doing very, very well with good catches all around.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/7/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:10 am  Woke up this morning to a nice dusting of snow overnight.  Temps today high 18 with a low of 4 tonight and winds NW 5 to 10.  Thursday high 17, low 7 and WSW 10 to 15 with some light snow flurries predicted.  Going into the weekend Friday's forecast is a high of 20, low of 3, winds SSW 5 mph and more snow flurries.  Saturday and Sunday are both daytime highs in the mid 20's with night time lows in the single digits.  Winds over the weekend should be very minimal.  Some flurries predicted for Saturday as well.  Trail conditions for snowmobiling continue to improve by the day.  Ice condition is excellent with 18 to 24 inches and a nice layer of snow on top of the ice.  Some fantastic large walleye brought in this past week as well as continuing excellent catches as well in pike, bluegill and perch.  Should be a fantastic winter weekend up here!  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/5/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:15 am   Always nice to start a week with good news!  We got SNOW!  Not a huge amount but a good 5" to 6" so the trails are definitely looking much better this morning (tons of pics below for you to enjoy).  Today's forecast is for a high of 16 and a low 7, winds WSW 10-20 with the possibility of light snow showers later this evening.  Tomorrow high 14, low 4 and winds WNW 5 to 10.  Some snow flurries may develop overnight and into Wednesday morning.  Wednesday looks to be a high of 19, low of 6 with winds WSW 5 to 10.  As far as next weekend it looks like snow in the order of 3 to 5 inches will come in Friday into Saturday so the trails should improve even more but they are certainly rideable at this point after the weekend's snowfall.  Ice conditions continue to be great at 15 to 20 inches all around the lake.  All my guests this weekend caught fish with a lot of nice pike caught as well as some fine walleyes, bluegills and perch too.  Enjoy the trail pics below.  Isn't it nice to see snow again!  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/3/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

6:45 am   Radar is looking nice this morning for snow coming in within the next few hours.  Forecasts differ between 1 to 3 inches and up to 3 to 5 inches with snow falling on and off until Sunday morning.  High today should be 25 with a low of 14, winds WSW 5 to 10.  Sunday's high 16, low 3 and winds WNW 10 to 15.  Monday and Tuesday show no further snowfall with highs both days in the high teens with nighttime lows in the single digits.  Winds both days WNW 10 to 15.  Ice thickness remains very good at 15 to 20 inches.  Catches on the lake reported as excellent and this weekend the lake seems very busy with lots of shanties seen all over the lake but most especially on the northeast shore.  Don't forget next weekend is Fast Eddie's SnowFest.  Hope to see you there!   BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/1/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:05 am   Well it's nice that February has come in with a bit of snow falling this morning.  Only a short flurry so not much depth to report but at least it's snow!  Today's skies are very gray with a forecasted high today of 22 and a nippy low tonight of 8 - winds NW 10 to 20.  Friday will be a high of 13 with another night with a low of 8 - winds W 10 to 15.  Saturday and Sunday are forecasting SNOW both days - about 1 to 3 inches each day hopefully!  Saturday's high 12, low 12 and winds NNE 5 to 10.  Sunday is said to be a high of 17, low of 4 and winds WNW 5 to 10.  Ice depths are 15 to 20 pretty much everywhere on the lake.  Watch for any pressure cracks (especially coming across from Long Point) or heaves near the shorelines.  From what I hear Bluegills and Crappies have been hitting very, very well this past week.  Pike and Walleye continue to do very well with some very nice sized fish being caught around the lake.  Trails continue to be good for ATV/ORV's and hopefully if we get some decent snowfall this weekend we'll get back to snowmobiling again this winter.  Found this handy chart for ice depth safety so though I'd share it with you.  A good thing to pin up on the fridge to remind us all to always be careful of the ice especially early and late in the season.   BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/29/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:15 am   So nice to see snow coming down this morning.  It's not forecast to be a lot of snowfall but it's far better than other options Mother Nature has chosen this month.  Today's high is said to be 20 with 9 as our low overnight.  ENE winds of 5 to 10 and snowfall of maybe 1" or slightly more.  Tuesday a high of 22 and a low of 18, WNW winds 5 to 10.  Wednesday they are calling for a bit more snow on and off through the day.  Some forecasts say only an inch with others saying 1 to 4 inches overall so we'll see how that goes.  Ice conditions remain very good with 18 to 20 inches on most areas of the lake.  Quite slippery with the ice having not much snow cover so be careful of that.  Fishing continues to be fantastic with especially good catches of pike being reported over on the north east side of the lake.  Trail conditions remain good for ATV/ORV's but not enough snow right now for snowmobiles.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/27/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:15 am   Well the unseasonably warm weather yesterday, last night and today so far has seen what little snow we had around here pretty much completely melt.  Do use caution on the roads, trails and even the lake as this melting snow has created a layer of water on top of ice in some areas.  Today's temps are forecast to get as high as 42 with a low tonight of 21, winds WSW 10 to 20.  Tomorrow high 29, low of 12, winds NNW 5 to 10.  Monday getting colder with a high of 19 and a nighttime low of 8, winds N 5 to 10 and the chance of some snow flurries.  Tuesday high of 23, low of 16 and very little in the way of wind, NNW up to 5 mph.  Wednesday does bring us the chance of some snowfall though not much predicted.  Hight that day of 33 and low of 16 with SSW winds 10 to 20.  Trails are as they have been - good for ATV/ORV but a bust for snowmobiles until we get significantly more snowfall.  Do watch for that water/ice situation I already posted about and take corners with caution.  Lake ice is sitting around 15 to 20 inches with little to no snow on top.  My guests with sleds are telling me that running on the ice is only with caution as there are some large cracks near a lot of the shoreline so getting on and off the lake can be "fun".  There's pressure cracks in the main body of the lake near Long Point and another good size one over in the East Bay.  Watch for smaller heaves and cracks as those can occur quickly with such big temperature swings.  Fishing continues to be great this winter.  Some really nice walleye being brought in this weekend as well as impressive pike.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/25/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:30 am   Mother Nature continues with her cold-warm-cold-warm routine.  Today it's supposed to get to a high of 34 with a low tonight of 23, south winds of 5 to 10.  Friday an unseasonably warm day with a high of 46 predicted and a low of 37 overnight, south winds 10 to 15.  Saturday high 40, low 25 with WSW winds 10 to 20.  Sunday we may see a bit of snow in the afternoon though likely only an inch or two.  Highs Sunday of 29 and a low that night of 15, winds WNW 5 to 10.  Trails continue to be good for ATV/ORV use but pretty much a bust for snowmobiling at this point with a lot of icy/bare ground areas or very little snow cover other than in areas where the wind piled it up somewhat.  Crazy weather for January!  Lake ice continues to be good with no major issues other than some shores being difficult to access here or there.  Ice fishing this year has been fantastic!  We're heading into weekend #2 for Tip Up Town 2018.  Don't miss the sled dog pulls, the sled racing and for the first time ever, bull riding on Sunday night!  I know I'm not going to miss that for anything!  I've attached a link below for the Tip Up Town 2018 Schedule of Events and Map.  Hope to see you there!  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

http://houghtonlakechamber.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Map-and-Schedule.pdf

Update 1/23/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

12:50 pm   Well it's lovely to report that we're getting SNOW!  Not a huge amount at this point but it's far better than the rain we had overnight and into this morning.  I'd say about an inch to an inch and a half has fallen so far but it isn't stopping yet I hope.  Temps today will be a high of 33 and a low of 11 with a NNW wind of 10 to 20.  Tomorrow a forecasted high of 23 and a low overnight of 15 with NNW winds of 5 to 10.  Thursday we're unfortunately seeing a warming trend coming in with a daytime high of 32 and a nighttime low of 22, SSE winds 1 to 5.  Friday a high of 45 with a low of 36 and south winds of 10 to 20.  Saturday another warmish day with a forecasted high of 40 and a low of 25, SW winds 10 to 15.  Finally for Sunday a high of 30 and a low of 16, NNW 10 to 15 with a chance of snow flurries.  Trails are not in great condition at the moment for snowmobiling but hoping this snow lasts or gives us more than predicted - if not, there's always ATV/ORVs.  Ice conditions remain constant, despite the weather, with a solid 18" pretty much all over the lake.  A good winter fishery continues with some very nice pike and walleye being caught as well as nice numbers on bluegill, etc.  Got a couple of shots of the snow coming down around the resort.  I haven't ventured out much yet as the roads are very nasty right now.  We're heading into weekend #2 of Tip Up Town 2018.  See you there!    BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/22/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:05 am   Not a nice day outside at all this morning.  Rain/freezing rain making it pretty nasty to walk or drive around out there this morning.  Hopefully it will change to just rain at some point today.  Not that I want rain but it's better than what's coming down right now.  Today temps high of 36, low of 28 with E winds of 10 to 20.  Tomorrow they are saying high of 31 and a low of 8, NNW winds 10 to 20 and the chance of about 1 inche of snow at some point late morning to mid-day.  Wednesday is looking like high 22, low 13 and NNW winds of 5 to 10.  Thursday high 31, low 20 and winds changing to the South at 5 to 10.  So not a great foreceast folks but with how often the weather forecasters have changed their predictions in the past 4 days I'm not banking on anything at this point so won't be at all surprised if it changes radically again.  Sure hoping we get some decent snow and get our snowmobiling trails back again.  Trails continue to be fine for ATV/ORV usage though I'd be careful right now with this freezing rain on the trails.  Lake ice is holding up just fine and folks are continuing to catch some lovely fish with a lot of shanties to be seen all over the lake.    Well since I always like to end my reports on an upbeat note - enjoy this video of the Extreme Freestyle Snowmobiling exhibition at Tip Up Town this past Saturday.  First time as far as I know they've had this and I hope they do it every year.  Amazing how high they got those sleds and the flips in the air, etc.  Very impressive!  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ihi2KUcaF6s&feature=youtu.be

Update 1/21/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:15 am   Mother Nature is truly moody lately.  Now the forecast has swung again back to more rain/freezing rain and less snow!  Sorry forlks - this is just as frustrating and confusing for us here as it must be for you.  So here's what the weather forecasters are now saying for the next few days.  Today high of 40 with a low tonight of 30 and E winds 5 to 10.  About 1 a.m. or so tonight we're supposed to get rain/freezing rain that they say will continue on and off until about 6 a.m. Tuesday morning then change to snow with about 1 to 3 inches expected to fall on Tuesday.  Temps Monday are said to be high 35, low 28 and an E wind 10-20.  For Tuesday they're forecasting high 31 but a nighttime low dipping way down to 6.  Wednesday high 22 and low 10 NNW wind 5 to 10 and no precipitation in the forecast.  Sure wish things hadn't changed but with the big swings in the forecast, maybe we'll luck out and it will change yet again for the better.  So on a happier note - I was over to the Tip Up Town event site yesterday and had quite a fun time.  Enjoyed the vendors (pasties...YUMMMM), happy folks wandering about, all the events, beverage tent with the band playing and I especially loved the antique sleds.  I could have passed on the experience of having my 16 year old kid holler "boy that sled is OLD!" and it's a model I drove at his age!  Well at leaset I got a picture of a llama smiling at me - not something you can say everyday of your life!  See you next weekend for Tip Up Town weekend 2!  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/19/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:30 am   Finally some GOOD NEWS to report!  We're getting snow folks....snow...beautiful snow!  The forecast for this entire weekend and going into next week has completely shifted.  I don't know whether to give thanks to Mother Nature or give all the credit to Ken (a regular user of our live chat) and his amazing SNOW DANCING.  Ken, we want VIDEO of your magical snow dancing because buddy it worked!  So new forecast is for today high 39 and low 29 with WSW winds 10 to 20 and a gorgeous blue sky overhead.  We might not have much snow on the trails yet but what a pretty day we're getting here in Houghton for the opening day of Tip Up Town 2018!  I'll be over at the event site later snapping pictures to share once the festivities get rolling!  Now on to more of the FANTASTIC weather report.  Tomorrow we looking at 41 high, 26 low with WSW winds of 5 to 10.  There is the possibility of some snow flurries tomorrow.  Sundays forecast is high 38 and low 28 E winds 10 to 15 with the start of the snowfall coming down - about 1 inch they say.  Overnight Sunday and into Monday they are saying 100% chance of 3 to 5 inches of SNOW - temps high 31, low 26 and winds ESE 10 to 15.  They are saying there may be a short transition to freezing rain mid-afternoon but not a high chance or for very long.  Tuesday is more snow in the morning and lasting well into the afternoon.  High 29 and a nice cold 14 for a nighttime low so we'll definitely be keeping whatever is falling.  Forecast Tuesday is 80% chance for 1 to 3 more inches of snow!  I'll be out taking new and hopefully gorgeous pictures of the nice rideable trails by Monday/Tuesday.  One thing is low snow but very cold temps did for us is build some of the best ice I've seen on the lake in years.  Good solid ice with 15 to 18 inches and better well into the middle of the lake.  Fishing report is excellent with good catches across the board.  Enjoy this link.  This guy and his buddy stayed with us last week and they had a blast catching walleye and pike.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

 https://www.facebook.com/111545368885052/photos/a.179410092098579.37246.111545368885052/1748397155199857/?type=3&theater

What you gonna do until the tailgating party at the Tip Up Town beverage tent tonight????  Some of my favorite guests finding alternate ways to keep warm and pass the time until 5 p.m. today.

Update 1/18/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:45 am   Well we're rolling into Tip Up Town weekend 1 here in Houghton Lake!  If you've never come north for this festival - it's a blast for all ages.  Check out these links for  information and I'll put up the poster of events below this post.  I think it's a great price too at only $10.00 for a badge and that covers BOTH weekends.  Tip Up Town on FB https://www.facebook.com/Tip-Up-Town-USA-167037268994/ and more info here    http://www.visithoughtonlake.com/tipuptown.shtml  Weather today is gray skies overhead so I'm hoping for snow.  High today is forecast for 33 with a nighttime low tonight of 22.  Otherwise the forecast for the next few days stands at what I posted yesterday other than they've changed Sunday from rain/freezing rain to rain/snow mix which is slightly better.  Hope to see you for Tip Up Town weekend 1 or 2.  Stop by the resort to say hi.  The coffee's always on!  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/17/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:30 am   Nice to see a small bit of the pretty white stuff come down yesterday.  I wish I could report we had a foot of it but realistically it's about 1 to 1.5 inches of snow.  At least it's a move in the right direction though not enough to make much of a difference for snowmobiling.  Trails continue to be fine for ATV/ORV use.  Temps today and tomorrow are mid 20's to low 30's with nighttime lows of 18 to 20, WSW winds 10 to 20. Going into the first weekend of Tip UP Town 2018 we are looking at Friday high of 39 and a low of 29 with SW winds around 10 to 15.  Saturday they are forecasting a daytime high of 42 and a night time low of 26 with winds continuing about the same.  Overnight and into the early morning hours of Sunday they're calling for rain/freezing drizzle with temps mid to high 30's daytime, low of 30 night time and winds SSW 5 to 10.  No snowfall in the forecast at all at this point.  I'm sure hoping we don't get that rain/freezing drizzle as that will do nothing for us as far as retaining the bit of snow we currently have on the ground.  Mother Nature sure isn't being nice to us this winter so far.  On the upside the lake ice is building beautifully with all my ice fishing guests reporting solid 15 to 18 inches of ice well out to the middle of the lake.  Some cracks and heaves developing over to the west/northwest side of the lake but that's pretty normal there.  Catches are continuing do be quite good especially walleye and pike.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

10:10 am   So nice this morning to wake up to snow falling.  It's a very light snow to be honest but at least it's snow and it's been falling for hours so maybe we'll get a decent amount of it in the end.  The forecast is saying it's not supposed to stop until 8 or 9 tonight.  Today's high is 18, low of 12 tonight with ESE winds 10-15.  Tuesday 20 high, low 5 and winds N 5 to 10.  Some snow is in tomorrow's forecast as well from around midnight tonight until 6 a.m. tomorrow.  Wednesday 24 high, 18 low no snow in the forecast and winds WSW 10 to 20.  So that's not too bad.  Hopefully what snow we'll get will be more than forecast as it often is here with the lake effect.  Not enough snow depth yet to ride sleds on the trails but ATV/ORVs are a good option at this point.  Reports from the fishermen staying here are catches of mostly pike with some walleye and perch.  They were way out to the middle of the lake and pulling good solid 15 to 18 inches of ice.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/14/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:30 am   What a gorgeous sunrise we had this morning over the lake.  Pretty pinks and oranges to start another beautiful winter day here in Houghton Lake.  Seeing more and more shanties being put up on the lake and from what I'm hearing the fishing is really doing well this season.  Hard to believe we are only a few days from the start of Tip Up Town 2018!  Check out their FB page for the events schedule and lots of handy info.    https://www.facebook.com/Tip-Up-Town-USA-167037268994/  I love that we're only a short walk to the event site.  So on to temps and snow and trails.  The next three days are pretty much the same.....19 daytime high and around 12 as a nighttime low with a bit of a dip Tuesday night into the single digits.  Winds are from the south and around 5 to 10 for the next few days so a very pleasant few days all in all.  The snow forecast is for some flurries later today and then more snow on Monday and Tuesday.  Not at lot of snow in the forecast but at this point I'll happily take anything Mother Nature wants to give as long as it's NOT rain again!  We'll be watching trails very carefully this week and have new pics when conditions change from the current frozen mud situation.  If we can't snowmobile - well we can always head out on the ATV/ORVs!  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/13/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:35 am   Happy Saturday everyone!  Well they say today will be cooler (13 high, 5 low) than yesterday but while temps have dropped a bit it feels much nicer with the wind being a more reasonable NNW 5 to 10 mph wind.  A lovely winter day out there so far with a dusting of snow coming down right now.  Sunday will see the winds swing to SSW around 5 to 10 and a bit of snow in the forecast so that sounds lovely.  Monday has more snow in the forecast with a daytime high of 21 and a nighttime low of 14 and southerly winds.  Tuesday 18 high with a cold nighttime of 3, winds NNW 5 to 10.  Wednesday a high of 20, low of 13 and WSW winds 10 to 15.  So going towards Tip Up Town next weekend things are looking good other than we badly need that snow to be good and heavy so the snowmobile trails become rideable again quickly.  ATV/ORV's would do well on the trails right now.  If you are out on the trails though do watch for some very ice patches and ride safe.  As for ice fishing I've got guests out fishing right now so I'm excited to see how they do and hope to share some pictures of their catch with you all.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/12/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

4:45 pm   Sure wish I had better news and nice snow covered trail pictures to show you but that just isn't the case here in Houghton Lake, up in Higgins, down at Meredith or pretty much anywhere this large warm and wet weather hit in Michigan.  Here's pictures from trail 7 up at Military Road, the Higgins Lake trailhead, Riley Road, 655 at Owens and Emery and the Owens trailhead.  Pretty much the same everywhere - ice, flash frozen dirt/mud and no snow to speak of.  Seems like it's ATV/ORV time until we get some decent snow again folks.  Good news though is with temps plummeting like this and no snow to speak of covering up the ice, the lake ice will continue to build beautifully.  Ice fishing this season so far continues to be very, very good with lots of shanties on the lake.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/12/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:25 am   Winter is back!  Temps right now are 15 with a strong north wind around 15 to 25 mph - low expected tonight of 4.  Saturday high 14, low 4 with NNW winds 5 to 10.  Sunday high 19, low 12 and the winds are supposed to change to SSW 5 to 10 mph.  Going into next week the forecast for Monday is high 20 with a low of 12 and continuing southern winds SE 10 to 15.  Looks like a really nice forecast for all of next week going into Tip Up Town 2018.  Don't miss the fun!  As far as the lake ice, the past two days of warm weather and rain didn't do much more than melt off the snow cover and drop about 1/2" of standing water on it.  That water has now frozen so basically what we have here is a nice fresh ice layer - sort of Mother Nature's zamboni at work.  I'm just heading out to check trails so will have pics up later today.  I don't expect to have such good news there as we lost a lot of snow over the past couple of days but there is a light snowfall this morning and more is forecast for Monday so that's should definitely help.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/11/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

4:05 pm   Mother Nature has one nasty sense of humor!  51 degrees and raining in January????  I've checked various places on the lake and talked folks in the know all around the lake.  The ice is holding as we would expect it to with a good solid 12 inches or more most places.  A number of access points to the lake aren't in great shape though some are but please use extra caution.  Right now the lake's lost most of it's snow cover and a lot of area has 1/4 to 1/2 inch of standing water on it from the rainfall yesterday and today.  That will likely freeze up overnight tonight if the temps drop enough or if not by tomorrow during the day.  Thank goodness we're back to winter tomorrow!  This is NOT my idea of "spring break"!  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/11/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:25 am   I wish I had better news to share this morning.  Yesterday's warm temps and the rain that fell all through the night plus today's forecast of high 40's and rain until 10 p.m. tonight are playing hell with the snow cover we had.  Once this has stopped I'll get some new pictures up of the trails but at this point I doubt it's going to be pretty folks.  At least temps are still forecast to be coming back down by Friday with a forecast daytime high of 18 and a low at night of 3.  Saturday is said to be high 11 - low 4 and Sunday high 18 and low 11.  Going into next week it's a real mixed bag of some highs in the 20's and low 30's with night time lows all over the board from single digits or into the teens.  Crazy weather!  As far as the lake ice, after the very cold temps of last week most of the lake is sitting around 12 to 18 inches and this rain isn't likely to negatively affect that too terribly much.  The current issues are pressure cracks developing close to shore and access on to the lake in some areas has become a bit unstable so be extra careful of that.  I'll have a further update on ice conditions later today.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/10/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:20 am   Well the sun's hiding today folks.  A very overcast, gray day here in Houghton Lake.  Temps are currently 25 degrees with a forecast today up into the mid 40's and the possibility of rain this afternoon.  Tomorrow's forecast is the same so not great news for our snowmobiling trails (think ATV maybe?) but it really shouldn't have any major effect on the lake ice.  As always though with crazy jumps in the weather, you want to be careful of ice thickness and any developing pressure cracks.  On the positive side Friday is taking us back to chillier weather with the possibility of snow next Monday so that's something to look forward to!  Looks like we'll be going into the first weekend of Tip Up Town with more normal seasonal temps once we get past this little hot flash Mother Nature seems to be experiencing today and tomorrow.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/9/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:15 am   TIP UP TOWN 2018 JAN 19TH TO 21ST AND JAN 26TH TO 28TH - IT'S JUST AROUND THE CORNER - DON'T MISS THE FUN!  Gorgeous sunny winter day here in  Houghton Lake.    I was just out checking trails and saw a party of 4 sleds heading over to 6/7 which is fully open now.  Temps today are supposed to reach a high of 30 with a low tonight of 21.  Wednesday and Thursday's forecast are still said to be in the mid to high 40's with some rain predicted for Thursday.  With a lower than normal snowfall base on the trails I'm not sure what damage that might do but will get out checking the trails after rain (if we get it) and grab some new pics then.  The lake looked busy with a fair number of folks out and about at their shanties enjoying this beautiful day.  Got trail pics today in the areas of Owens/Emery, #655 and 6/7 for you to enjoy.   The good folks from Hunter's Paradise south of us at Meredith report their trails are fair to good with some low snow patches here and there but very rideable at the moment.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

 Update 1/8/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:30 am   Well with today's upswing in temps my toes and nose will finally have a chance to thaw out!  Today we're supposed to hit a high of 26 with a low overnight of 15.  I think Mother Nature took my pleas for a bit warmer temps a little too seriously though with forecasts for Tuesday through Thursday getting into unseasonably high temps of high 30's and into the low 40's with the possibility of snow/sleet/rain on Wednesday morning and possibly part of Thursday as well.  Not funny Mother Nature not funny at all!  Thankfully the temps are supposed to immediately dive back down Friday and over the weekend into more seasonal norms of daytime highs in the mid to high teens and night time lows of single digits.  Trails are holding at about the same conditions as they've been all last week so hopefully this little bit of fun and games Mother Nature is threatening to pull on us mid week won't do too much damage.  I'll get out and get some photos once we see what we actually do get and if it's done much to change the trail condition going into the weekend.  As far as ice fishing it looks like big pike are continuing to be a regular feature this winter as well as a nice upswing in the walleye catch the past couple of days.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/5/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

2:30 pm   Cold temps continuing today and into this weekend with temps hitting -25 with the windchill.  Not much snow to speak of but on the upside (and there is ALWAYS an upside) the snow we do have on the ground sure isn't going anywhere at these temps!  Tried to get some pics to post but the cold just fogged up the camera something awful.  Apparently Mother Nature's in a shy mood right now and would prefer if I don't snap any pictures of her while she's in a cool frame of mind.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/4/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:30 am   Boy it's cold out there!  Hitting -20 to -25 with windchill this week!  With the very cold weather it seems the lake and trails have been a bit quieter than normal but I'm hearing great reports from the hardy folks that have been out ice fishing.  Seems like the pike are hitting it big right now and I mean BIG, BIG, BIG northerns.  Also some really good numbers on the bluegill catches this past few days.  Trails holding pretty much the same with another dusting of snow here or there.  We'd appreciate it if Mother Nature would do a bit less of the cold and a bit more of the snow though.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/1/18 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:15 am   Happy 2018!  We hope this new year brings all of you the wonderful gifts of health and happiness!  Here in Houghton Lake we're enjoying a lovely first day of the year with sleds moving out on the trails, folks on the ice pulling in some good catches and about a 1/3 of an inch of new snow on the ground (not much but I'm happy anytime the white stuff falls).  Temps today should reach about 10 with a low of 1 overnight.  Forecast for this week is a good run of very cold weather which should continue to build that lake ice.  Trails are good with the low spots to watch for being of course the corners and some trail entrances which are taking a bit of a beating until we get some more base down on them.  All reports from my groups have been that they've had a blast and especially enjoyed the trail down to Meredith.  Wrap up and keep warm for the coming days - they're going to be the coldest this year so far!  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/29/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:40 am   A chilly but beautiful winter day here in Houghton Lake with bright blue skies and no wind to speak of at all.  Got sleds out on the trials with more over the New Year's Eve weekend and I expect everyone to have a fantastic time!  Bundle up though folks - it's cold out there.  Temps for today are daytime high of 13 and a low tonight of 5.  Saturday high 13 low minus 7 with Sunday forecast for high 8 low 1.  Monday is supposed to bring us another inch or so of snow with daytime high of 10 and low at night of 5.  Winds today and over the long weekend are forecast as little to none with highest possible 10 mph.  All this cold weather is really helping the ice build nicely with a number of shanty rental places having their permanent huts out now which is always a great sign of good ice.  Continue to watch the area to north west over by the Lakeside Conference Center as it was open ice only a day or so back.  Talked to the good folks down at Hunter's Paradise south of us at Meredith who report trail conditions much the same as we have here in Houghton Lake - about 5 to 7 inches of base with areas around corners being a bit less.  Higgins and northbound of Higgins has been a bit more blessed with snow so far so a good area to check out as well.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/27/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

1:25 pm   Out and about on this chilly day checking trails and trailheads.  The situation looks decent - we could always use more snow but it's not too bad considering we haven't had snow this week much to speak of.  Speaking of that snow is in the forecast for tonight and a bit more on Friday so hoping for some decent snowfall for the weekend.  Temps are still arctic cold with daytimes in the low to mid teens and nighttime in the single digits and below.  Saw some sleds out on the lake but they are definitely sticking close to the shore as open water can still be seen especially at the Muskegon on the north west side of the lake.  More shanties every day are out on the lake though and I hear the fishing is fine this year!  Trail 6/7 is detouring right now around the swamp - haven't heard yet when they plan to open it but the detour is well covered and rideable.  Higgins Lake trailhead looks very good as does Owens.  Got some pictures to share with you today.  Enjoy them and hope we see you up this way soon!  Dress warm folks! BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/26/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:50 am   Just a dash of the snow but on the upside we are continuing with very cold temps all this week so that's helping a lot with building ice without a lot of snow on top of it to insulate it as it builds.  Reports of very nice walleye catches both in the east and north bays.  Ice depths are measuring 5 to 7 inches in some areas yet there is still OPEN WATER about 300 ft out from the Lakeside Resort and other areas of the lake are still at 2 inches so please BE CAREFUL where you go.  Trails are coming along with some areas a bit light on snow but rideable - anywhere from 4 to 7 inches of base depending on where you measure.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/24/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:25 am   Sadly we had a good bit of wind and snow flurries but probably only got about 2 inches of snow instead of the 4 inches we'd hoped for.  At least it's white stuff though right!  Temps today and going into Christmas are as cold as forecast with single digits day and night expected both today and tomorrow.  No real snow in the forecast at this point until Friday.  Temps are staying on the cold side with day time highs from now until Friday of around 5 to 10 daytime and lows at night as low as minus 1.  Total snow on the ground is about 7 inches. BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/21/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:45 am   Temps today and tomorrow and Saturday are all expected to be daytime highs mid 20's with night time lows mid to low 20's.  Sunday (Christmas Eve) we are expecting a big drop in temps down into the single digits to highs of 10 to 12 at most.  Definitely more winter weather and good for the ice.  Snow in the forecast for Thursday overnight with some forecasts saying as much as 4 inches.  That would surely help the trails a lot.  Hearing some good things about the ice fishing especially in the east and north bays which seem to be building the best ice right now.  Still a lot of the lake at 2 or 3 inches of ice though so be mindful of that.  Not a lot if any sled travel on the lake yet as far as I've seen.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/19/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:15 am   Unfortunately the temps got far warmer yesterday than predicted and look to be doing the same today with sunny skies and daytime highs well into the mid 30's or a bit higher.  Night time lows for yesterday and tonight in the mid 20's.  Not great weather for snowfall or ice building but it's supposed to get back to colder temps soon.  With such variable temps please be extra careful on the ice.  As far as snow depth I'd say we've got about 5" or so with these warm temps - might lose a bit but I don't think it will be much.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/16/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:50 am   Well we got a fair bit more snow than they called for so it's nice to see sleds starting to move around town and the trails.  There's a good 5 to 6 inches of pretty white stuff on the ground.  I'll be heading out shortly to get some trail pics to share here.  Ice conditions for sledding and ice fishing are VERY diverse right now on the lake depending on area and depth of snow.  Some areas of the lake are a solid 4 to 5 inces and others are as little as 2 inches SO BE CAREFUL PLEASE.  Todays temps are low 20's daytime and low teens night time so ice will continue to build nicely.  Sunday through Thursday are forecast for a bit warmer temps with daytimes being high 20's to mid 30's and nighttimes sitting around mid teens to low 20's.  Colder temps are due back by Friday and into next weekend with daytime forecasts being low to mid 20's and nighttime down into the single digits.  It's a great time to come visit gorgeous Houghton Lake and enjoy some beautiful winter weather!  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/12/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:45 am   Welcome to the winter 2017/2018 trail and ice conditions report!  I hope you'll find this useful in helping you get the most out of the extensive and well groomed trail system in this area and the fantastic ice fishing we enjoy here on Houghton Lake.  Don't forget to check out the live chat as well.  Currently we don't have a lot of snow on the trails - maybe 2 to 3 inches at most - but we do have more in the forecast for this week.  They're calling for only 1 to 3 inches more by the weekend but hey that's a start and we can always hope for more!  Better news on the ice conditions though.  Reports around the lake are saying a good solid 3 inches out from shore with more building every day.  Our temps are nice and cold and staying that way into this coming weekend so it's quite possible we may see the first of the season ice fishing by this weekend.  Today and tomorrow temps are daytime highs in the mid teens with single digit nighttime lows.  From Thursday to Saturday we're looking at low to mid 20's daytime and nighttime temps in the low to mid teens.  Sunday is slightly warmer temps all around but not by much.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/16/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:05 am   What a gorgeous sunshine filled winter day we are having here in Houghton Lake!  Temps right now are about 10 degrees with an expectation of a high of 28 later today and a low tonight of 20.  Got two groups out on sleds this morning enjoying the trails.  Friday the temps are coming up quite a lot with a high of 44 during the daytime and a low of 35 at night.  Saturday and Sunday are both day time highs of 50 with night time lows expected around 30.  Don't forget this is one of Michigan's two yearly FREE FISHING WEEKENDS.  In state or out of state - no fishing license required although of course all laws regarding fish size and catch limits still apply.  Ice fishing continues to be amazing this winter.  I just saw pictures of a Master Angler sized walleye that was caught on Houghton Lake the other day.  What a nice fish!  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/15/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

1:30 pm   We got about 1 to 1 1/2 inches of fresh powder overnight with perhaps another 1/2 coming later today.  Temps today are high of 25 and a low of 15.  Thursday is pretty much the same with the warmer temps starting to hit us by the weekend.  Friday is predicted to be a daytime high of 42 with a night time low of 30.  Saturday and Sunday have the same forecast of a daytime high around 50 and a night time low around 30.  Trails were checked today and are still looking quite good.  Pictures below are of the Houghton Lake trailhead, Owens Road area, 655 and Riley Road.  Ice conditions remain the same with 15 to 18 inches on most parts of the lake.  Fishing continues to be great as it has been all this winter with good size fat pike, walleye, etc. and big catches of bluegill and the like.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/12/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

12:30 pm   We're getting some lovely snow today.  Looks like about 1 to 3 inches.  Temps are a bit warmer than I'd like with a high today of mid 30's and alow tonight of 21.  Monday and Tuesday are predicted to be mid 30's daytime and mid to low 20's at night.  We have a bit more snow in the forecast for Tuesday with a possibility of an inch or so.  Wednesday is our coolest day of the week with a daytime high of 23 and a night time low of 14.  Heading into the weekend they are calling for a spike up to temps as high as low 40's but let's all hope the weather people are dead wrong on this one!  Trails are icy in spots especially the corners with some trails being a bit bumpy due to hard pack snow and not a lot of powder but the snow today was a real help.  Fishing continues to be fantastic.  Had some guests this weekend that caught some very nice pike and had a good dinner out of the lake.  Other guests reported catching pike and walleye this weekend and said they had a great time on the lake.  Got some pictures to share of Riley Road to 654 then over to Owens and across 55 to Devonshire and on to the lake that a couple of the guys ran today.  Remember when it comes to the lake be mindful of that pressure crack mentioned in yesterday's report.  It's nowhere near the Devonshire entrance on to the lake but if you are out running the lake or heading north to the Yeager Road access point to trail 6/7 you want to stay well back from that pressure crack.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/11/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

3:50 pm   Due to warm temperatures the PRESSURE CRACK on the south shore east and west of the DNR boat launch is opening up again.  USE CAUTION IN THIS AREA.  Warming trends over the next few days to a week will only make this situation worse so please sled carefully in this area especially in low light or the night hours.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/10/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

12:10 pm   Got some snow this morning, about a half inch or better.  Skies are still pretty grey so hoping for more.  Temp right now is 20 with the forecast of a high of 31 today and a low of 29 tonight.  I don't see it getting that much warmer today though with how it feels outside.  Tomorrow and Sunday are forecast for day time highs around 34 to 36 and night time lows in the low to mid 20's.  Snow is forecast to start around 11 p.m. Saturday and pretty much all day Sunday with a predicted snow fall of 1 to 3 inches or better.  Had some folks out on sleds yesterday that ran over to St. Helens and had a great meal at the Firehouse (best walleye he ever ate so said the one guy).  They said the trails weren't too bad other than some slippery corners.  Riley Road heading over to 654/655 is pretty bumpy though from what I saw of it last night.  Got a really nice couple out right now running to Meredith on a couple of our sleds.  He's a Michigan born and bred guy so knows the ropes of winter weather here.  She's from the south though and has never seen snow let alone driven a sled so it should be a really unique experience for her.  I hope they have a blast!  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/8/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

4:30 pm   Happy to report that yesterday's rain didn't last long and didn't do any significant damage to the snow depths on the trails I checked today.  Granted some of the corners are a bit icy so watch out for that.  Access points off the lake are fair to good.  Devonshire to Owens Road is in good shape with Yeager Road being okay other than the part going over the overpass which is poor right now.  It's only a short way though and then the roadside if fine for sledding.  The trails look better than the road around here today!  Ice depths are a good 13 to 15 inches.  The pressure crack on the south shore continues to close up well but needs to be checked carefully if you are in that area.  Temps today are a high of 25 and a low tonight of 8 with a light dusting of snowfall.  Tomorrow is a chilly 14 daytime with night time in the single digits and an inch of snow expected.  Friday is forecast for a high of 29 and a low of 26 with 1 to 3 inches of snow in the forecast (come on Mother Nature be nice to us!).  Saturday and Sunday are higher daytime temps in the mid to high 30's and night time temps in the mid to high 20's.  Sunday's forecast is for a bit of snow/snow ice mix later in the day.  Got you all some pics of 6/7 at Yeager, Riley Road heading over to the trails and Owens at 655 as well as the lake access points for Yeager and Devonshire.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/7/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:30 am  Mother Nature is pulling a nasty one on us today folks with temps in the low 30's and rain/rain mix forecast for today.  It shouldn't last long and we missed the worst of it which went northwest of us up towards Gaylord and points north but still it's not the forecast any of us wants right now.  We'll be checking trail conditions tomorrow to see what if any damage this warmer day and rain did to the trails.  Forecast for Wednesday is back to colder temps with day time high in the mid 20's and a night time low of 8.  Thursday is forecast for a chilly 14 daytime and a low at night of 7.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/6/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:30 am  Forecast for tomorrow isn't looking great with a sudden spike in temps and some rain in the forecast.  Gorgeous day for today though so we'll take what we can get.  Trails are in fine shape after the weekend and the fishing report is continued good catches on all species.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/4/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

12:15 pm  Gorgeous day today with lots of sleds out and about on the trails.  High 27 with a low tonight predicted to be 13.  Ice fishing is very busy out on the lake with ice depths of 12 to 14 inches or better.  Sunday should give us another nice winter day with temps about the same as today.  The pressure crack on the south shore is continuing to close up but be very careful around it.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/3/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:35 am  What a nice forecast we have for this weekend.  Quite cool today with a high of 19 and a low of 11 but tomorrow and Sunday are coming back up to mid to high 20's daytime and lows at night in the mid teens to low 20's.  Trails are looking fantastic so a great weekend ahead of us here in Houghton Lake.  Ice continues to thicken with 12 to 18 inches on most of the lake.  The pressure crack on the south shore is closing but please be cautious in that area (somewhat east and west of the DNR boat launch).  Ice fishing continues to be some of the best seen in recent years with very large pike being caught lately as well as good catches of bluegill.  The walleye are being a bit elusive.  Either that or those that are catching them are keeping quiet about it which is quite likely the case.  Hope you're already here or heading north since this looks like it's shaping up to be one of the prettiest weekends of the winter!  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/1/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:05 am  We've had some great snow the past two days with between 3 and 5 inches of accumulation.  Weather for today is a high 23 and a low tonight of 17.  Tomorrow returns to cooler temps with a high of 16 with a low of 9 predicted so that snow is going nowhere and trail conditions are fantastic again here in the Houghton Lake area.  Friday's forecast forecast for about the same as Thursday with it getting warmer for the weekend.  Saturday and Sunday are mid to high 20's into very low 30's for day time temps with night time lows of mid teens to very low 20's.  Sounds like a perfect weekend to hit the trails or drop in a tip up and catch your dinner.  Ice conditions continue to improve with the big pressure crack closing on on each end.  Of course be careful and cautious any time you are on the lake especially around known pressure cracks.  The north shore near the camping grounds has reported thin ice in that area.  Here's some pics for you today of the trail #6 in the Grass Lake Rd area as well as trail 655, Waco Road and Riley Road areas.  Enjoy and I hope we see you up here this weekend!  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/31/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:15 am  Loving the snow coming down this morning.  Big, beautiful white flakes that are making for just about as perfect a winter scene as you can imagine.  We are forecast for at least 1 to 3 inches today with another inch tomorrow.  Today's temps are day time high of 29 with a night time low of 23 and pretty much the same for Wednesday.  Thursday the cold temps come back with a day time high of mid teens and a night time low in the single digits for both Thursday and Friday which means what's falling today and tomorrow is staying put!  The weekend is going to be a bit warmer with Saturday and Sunday day time temps being in the mid 20's to 30 and night time temps in the mid to high teens.  Sounds like a perfect weekend to come visit Houghton Lake and hit the trails on your sled or ours!  Ice conditions continue to rebuild with current thickness around 12 to 14 inches depending on where you are on the lake.  That big pressure crack continues to be a concern so please be mindful of it and use the ice with common sense and caution in that area of the lake (south shore somewhat west and east of the DNR boat launch area).  The lake is continuing to provide some excellent catches with large pike being pulled out as well as some larger walleye.  Bluegills are hitting strong and in good numbers as well.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/30/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:30 am  Had a great Tip Up Town 2017 here in Houghton Lake!  2nd weekend we saw a lot more snow so much busier on the trails and the lake.  Lake ice is continuing to rebuild as cooler temps arrive this week.  Had a guest out on a sled that went down 655 way to Meredith and said the trails were much improved with just a few corners taking a bit of a beating but overall a very nice ride.  Took a sled north and I'm happy to report that Higgins Lake got a fair lot of snow and it was looking gorgeous up that way.  We're forecast for snow tomorrow and Wednesday so let's hope Mother Nature is good to us and gives us some nice snow to take us into next weekend.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/28/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:30 am  What a gorgeous winter day we are having here in Houghton Lake.  28 degrees with big, beautiful flakes of snow falling right now.  Forecast is for 1-3 inches of accumulation throughout today.  If you aren't already up here for Tip Up Town - you're missing something special so come on up!  Guests here at the resort are hitting nicely on pike again yesterday.  Tomorrow's high is forecast to be 25 with a low of 10 tomorrow night.  Ice conditions are 10 to 12 inches but be mindful of the pressure crack on the south shore and also last weekend's fishing/spearing holes which may not have closed over fully quite yet.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/27/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

12:30 pm  It's great to see more snow coming down!  We are expecting to see snow throughout the day with an expectation of another 1 to possibly 3 inches.  Saturday they are calling for another inch with no snow in the forecast for Sunday.  Current temps are 28 with a low of 24 tonight.  Saturday 29, low of 16 and Sunday high of 25 and a low of 8.  We were out checking trails today (see pics below).  They are definitely improving very quickly and the previously slushy conditions are now firming up and getting some snow cover.  Some areas are still fairly rough especially at trailheads and on corners where the snow is still on the thin side so be careful there folks.  All in all though it's a much better trail system to ride on than in the past week.  Ice fishing continues to be great.  Have guests out right in their shanties.  Saw a couple of very nice pike they brought in - perfect size for a nice meal.  Tip Up Town is ready to rock n roll into weekend 2 with a full house here at the resort having a great time and enjoying a lot more snow than last weekend gave us.  Do be careful around that large pressure crack and with fishing/spearing holes that may have widened with the warmer weather we had in previous days.  Have fun, sled safe, enjoy Tip UP Town and all the beauty a Michigan winter day can bring!   BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/26/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:30 am  We got a good 2 1/2 to 3 inches of heavy wet snow overnight.  It's stopped now but unless I'm badly mistaken I do see snow clouds overhead broken up occasionally by bright sunshine so perhaps Mother Nature will cut us a break and give us more snow later today or tonight.  The forecast as it stands right now is for no snow on Friday and less than an inch Saturday and Sunday but I never believe a forecast much more than 24-48 hours in advance due to lake effect.  Temps today are high 33 with a low tonight of 24.  Friday about the same.  Saturday and Sunday we return to colder temps with day time highs both days in the mid 20's and night time lows in the low teens to single digits.  Ice conditions right now are snow covered with ice depths of anywhere from 8 to 12 inches.  With this snow cover take extra care to be aware of that pressure crack I've been warning about as well as ice fishing and spearing holes that have expanded with the warm weather we've had lately.  Got a few shots this morning of the pretty snowfall and one of what I'm darned sure are more snow clouds.  Will be updating on trail conditions as they improve.  Right now we didn't get enough snow to make a lot of difference though some snow is better than no snow.  Meredith south of us is reporting to me that their trails have not improved much at all.  Grayling and Gaylord north of us reports about the same.  Not enough snow and temps a bit too high at this point to stop it quickly becoming slushy.  Best news lately has been the ice fishing which is continuing to be some of the best people have seen in years.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/25/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:30 am  It feels good to finally have good news to share!  It's snowing!  Not a lot yet but it's supposed to snow on and off until Thursday afternoon with a predicted accumulation of 3 to 5 inches.  More snow is the forecast to start Friday mid-morning for a few hours and then again Saturday from 4 a.m. until 6 p.m.  Total accumulations predicated range from 1 to 3 inches both days depending on which forecast you read.  Sounds like we might be looking at a great weekend for snowmobiling if we get the snow they are calling for!  Temps today are a high of 34 with a low of 31.  Tomorrow's high should be in the low 30's with an overnight low of 21.  Friday high of 28, low of 23.  Then back to winter weather finally with both Saturday and Sunday forecast to be day time highs in the mid 20's and night time lows of 10 to 15.  Ice conditions are 8 to 14 inches depending on where you are on the lake and the large pressure crack is still open so BE CAREFUL.  Fishing reports from last weekend's Tip Up Town and early this week are continuing to be fantastic in both size of fish, number of species caught and number of fish brought in.  Mother Nature may have played around a bit this year with temperatures but it doesn't seem to be bothering the fish at all.  Hope to see a lot of you this weekend for another fun winter weekend at Tip Up Town 2017!  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/23/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:55 am  Well it's definitely a good news/bad news sort of trail report this morning.  First the bad news - with the warm weather (it got to almost 50 yesterday) and the rain the trails are not in good condition here around Houghton Lake and even as far north as Grayling and Gaylord the groomers have stopped and are reporting icy/slushy conditions.  South of us isn't great either.  As far as ice conditions on the lake we did lose some ice, up to an inch or two, in some areas though the fishing over the first weekend of Tip Up Town was very good with some big fish being brought in.  The greatest and most serious concern on the lake right now is the PRESSURE CRACK on the south shore.  BE CAREFUL!  It has now grown to at least 2 miles in length and has wide open water along most of the length of it.  It's nothing to fool around with folks.  See the video link below from 9 & 10 news with aerial shots of the pressure crack.  It's very foggy this morning with today's forecast being a high of 37 and a low of 33 with some small rain showers later this afternoon.  Tuesday about the same but no rain in the forecast just fog.  Now to the good news (finally).  Wednesday temps are still higher than I'd like but snow is in the forecast again.  Thursday temps start to drop to more seasonal norms with a daytime high of 30 and a night time low of 23.  Another inch or so of snow if predicted for Thursday.  Friday and Saturday are forecast for day time highs in the mid 20's,  night time lows mid to high teens with snow both days in the forecast.  Sunday should be day time highs in the low 20's and a night time low of 13 so hopefully that should allow the snow to stay and greatly improve the trails as well as the stability of the ice on the lake.  

http://www.9and10news.com/story/34310655/houghton-lake-pressure-crack-spans-2-miles

http://www.9and10news.com/story/34314644/tip-up-town-brings-business-to-houghton-lake

Update 1/21/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

12:50 pm  We headed over to check out Tip Up Town and check out the pressure crack.  It's impressive to say the least with open water within the crack at some points.  It's also moving east a bit so BE CAREFUL around it folks.  Lots of sleds, ATVs and ORVs out and about on the ice though as well as shanties.  Got to see some great antique sleds, had the best cookie in the world (chocolate, cream cheese and bacon - need I say more) and got interviewed by 9 & 10 news (check it out tonight at 6 and 11 p.m.).  Warm weather or not there are lots of folks out enjoying our fantastic winter festival.  If you aren't here this weekend come up and see us next weekend!  Speaking of next weekend we are still in the forecast for snow on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which should improve trail conditions considerably.  Temps today are high of 42 and a low tonight of 34 with tomorrow being pretty much the same.  We are forecast for a bit of rain for a couple of hours this evening but hoping that will pass us by.  Sent a real nice dad and son out today on our Honda TRX-250's.  I'm sure they're having a blast!  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/20/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:45 am  Wish I could be reporting better conditions folks but today it's spotty rain as well as forecast for Saturday, Sunday and Monday as well.  Temps today are high of 36 with a low tonight of 31.  Saturday and Sunday are daytime highs in the low 40's and night time lows in the mid 30's.  The good news is that the weather folks say that we should be getting colder temps and snow next week on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with anywhere from 1 to 3 inches all 3 days.  Let's hope they are right!  I checked the Higgins Lake Trailhead today and it was pretty slushy and icy on the trails there as was the Houghton Lake Trailhead.  The best trail I saw was 6/7 at Yeager Road though the access from the lake and over the overpass was in pretty poor shape.  I have guests riding north at Gaylord so hopefully they can give me an update on those trails tonight when they get back.  Ice is about 10" but with the rain and warm temps and that big pressure crack on the south shore by the Tip Up Town event area and to the west of that - just be very careful on the ice please.  I'm not seeing a lot of sleds or quads moving around on it today at all.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/19/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:30 am  The warm weather isn't making for a happy report this morning.  Talked to the folks down at Hunter's Paradise in Meredith and he said the trails are just not in great shape at all and they've lost a fair bit of snow.  Most of the resort guests that brought sleds for Tip Up Town are trailering north to Higgins or Grayling as the road accesses for the trails are rough to bare due to the continued higher than seasonal norm temps.  I also talked to the Chamber of Commerce here and they are confident in all planned Tip Up Town activities going on as planned so don't let the weather get you down - come have fun anyways!  Today's high is 37 with a low tonight of 29.  Friday they are saying 35 with a low of 32 at night and a chance of freezing rain in the morning for a couple of hours.  Saturday and Sunday are about the same.....daytime highs of 40 to 41 with night time lows in the low to mid 30's.  Saturday looks good but Sunday they are calling for rain most of the day (let's hope they are wrong).  Ice is holding up well at 10 to 12 inches.  Just a reminder what for that long pressure crack that goes from the DNR boat launch/Tip UP Town event area west towards the Heights.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/17/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:25 am  Unfortunately we got hit with warmer temps and  rain/freezing rain last night and into today.  Temps are continuing to climb with today's high in the low to mid 30's.  We've lost a bit of snow but so far nothing to worry about today but with a forecast of temps staying higher than normal for this time of year it is likely to start affecting the southern trails somewhat.  I had a dad and son out yesterday and that's pretty much what their experience was.  Northern trails were still good but the southern trails were starting to take a bit of a beating.  Ice fishing reports from our guests were that pike were hitting pretty good but the walleye eluded them this time.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/15/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:05 am  Getting a bit warmer but a lovely day.  Got some guests out fishing and having a great time.  Ice is 12 to 15 inches depending where on the lake you are.  We're looking at getting some nasty weather coming in with freezing rain or a sleet/snow mix due later tonight.  Temps are showing for Tues through Thurs being high during the day of low to mid 30's and nighttime lows in the high 20's.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/14/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:50 am  Prettiest day of this winter so far folks!  Bright sunshine, no wind at all - current temp is 20 with a high expected today of 28 and a low tonight of 10.  Sunday is looking great too with more sunshine and a daytime high of 29, nighttime low of 16.  I'm just heading out to grab some trail pics to show you just what you are missing if you didn't come up this weekend (it's early.....there's still time!)  Got guests out right now in shanties trying for one of the big pike or walleye that have been hitting so well this season.  Back later with some photos for you!  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/13/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:50 am  Happy Friday everyone!  Hope you are busy packing up for your trip north to Houghton Lake for some great snowmobiling, ice fishing or just relaxing and enjoying a winter getaway.  Current temps are 11 with a high expected today of 17 and a low tonight of 7.  Saturday and Sunday continue to look like they will be fantastic with sunshine forecast for both days and very low winds.  Temps Saturday are expected to be high of 28 and a low of 9 and Sunday should be a high of 28 again and a night time low of 14.  Trails are in good shape and the ice on the lake is good as well so come on up and enjoy a great weekend in one the the prettiest areas of Michigan!  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/12/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

3:25 pm  Headed up north today to check out the Higgins Lake trailhead area as well as Yeager Road access off the lake and over to trail 6/7 north and southbound.  Happy to report that lake accesses, roadsides and the like are in great condition and the trails look very good.  We got about 1/2 inch of snow last night but a very nice flurry of snowfall this morning that dropped about another inch to inch and a half.  Temps today are sitting around mid 20's but falling to 8 tonight so that beautiful white stuff isn't going anywhere folks!  Friday through Sunday should be fantastic sledding and ice fishing weather with day time temps high teens to mid 20's and nighttime lows between 9 and 17 degrees.  Saturday and Sunday are forecast for bright sunny winter days just perfect for hitting the 200+ miles of trails we enjoy here in the Houghton Lake area.  Shout out to all the hard working groomers (most all of them volunteers) who work long hours to keep the trails in top condition for your enjoyment.  Remember on the trails to give the groomers lots of room as they work and a thank you wave for what they do.  They really are a great bunch of folks who all have regular jobs and lives but give their time to keep the trails so enjoyable and safe to use.  Now to ice fishing - the ice is pretty much 8 to 12 inches in most places but of course be careful on it as always and watch for that big pressure crack on the south side from the Heights to the DNR launch.  All reports are it's closed up well but pressure cracks can be tricky things.  Stopped in at Lyman's today and talked fish for a bit.  Very nice big healthy pike and walleye continue to come in as well as good catches on perch and bluegill so if you're thinking of doing some ice fishing - come on up and catch yourself a big one!  Pics below are Yeager Road, trail 6/7 and the Higgins Lake trailhead.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/11/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

1:30 pm  Well happy to report the rain didn't do too much damage.  We lost maybe an inch or so of snow off the trails here around Houghton Lake and the good folks at Hunter's Paradise in Meredith (go check them out if you are down that way) report about the same there with good snow depths remaining and maybe an inch of snow lost to the rain.  Forecast for tomorrow is mid 20's daytime with a low into the single digits at night.  We're supposed to get another 1 to 3 inches of snow overnight and into Thursday.  Friday it's a cold one with daytime temps mid teens and a projected low of 9.  Saturday and Sunday are daytime temps mid to high 20's and lows both nights in the mid to low teens.  Both days are forecast to be beautiful sunny days.  Didn't get out too much yesterday as roads here were a bit icy but got a few pics of the 655 near Owens and Emery and the trail head at Houghton Lake (parking lot was a bit of a skating rink but I saw vehicles and trailers in the lot so folks were out and about on the trails).  Ice fishing continues to be amazing this year with some of the biggest pike and walleye I've seen in years being pulled up from under the ice.  Bluegill catches are doing very well too.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/10/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

4:35 pm  We got a good 4 to 5 inches of snow overnight and into the mid morning hours.  Temps have risen and we are getting some scattered rain but nothing that should have any real or lasting effect on the trails.  Temps are going to drop back down and we are forecast for snow late tonight  and into Wednesday and again a bit more on Thursday.  The forecast is for another 1 to 3 inches at least.  With the temps going up and down a bit today and tomorrow before the colder weather settles back in keep an eye out on the large pressure crack that runs from the Heights to the DNR boat launch area on the south shore.  It's been staying closed but quickly changing temps like this can open it up again for a time.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/9/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:10 am  Well we didn't get much snow overnight but we have big fluffy flurries right now and a forecast of 3 to 5 inches starting up later tonight and continuing to snow most of tomorrow.  Again overnight on Tuesday and into Wednesday night on and off with both those days calling for anywhere from 1 to 3 inches more.  Temps today are currently 13 with an expected high of 27 and a low tonight of 23.  Tomorrow is the oddball day with a high of 40 predicted but then dropping back down to 21 tomorrow night.  They say we might have a chance of a couple of hours of rain or rain/snow mix later afternoon tomorrow but the percentages are pretty low for it and the expected amount is less than half an inch of rain.  Don't really expect that will do any real damage to the trails at all.  Wednesday's forecast is for a high of 36 and a low of 26 then back to colder temps onThursday and heading into what should be a fantastic weekend here in beautiful Houghton Lake.  Talked to a few snowmobilers out yesterday and they all said the trails were improving by the day especially the southern ones.  Corners are still on the icy side but with expected snowfall over the next couple of days that should sort that out to a great extent.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/8/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:45 am  Another beautiful winter day here in Houghton Lake.  Temp is currently 12 with a high expected today of 17 and a low tonight of 11.  We got a nice dusting of snow overnight - maybe about an inch to an inch and a half but it's definitely improving things especially access roads to trails which are all getting nicely snow covered today.  We're expecting snow tomorrow during the day on and off and starting up again overnight with a predicted snowfall of 3 to 5 inches.  Then snow again Tuesday and Wednesday both days between 1 and 3 inches.  The next snow forecast at this point is next weekend with Saturday being a light dusting but Sunday hopefully giving us another 3 to 5 inches of the pretty white stuff.  Temps are pretty much across the board this week with daytime highs of mid teens to mid 20's other than Tuesday when we may get a daytime warm spike up to the high 30's.  All in all it looks like a great forecast through the week and going into next weekend and should set up the trails for some beautiful riding conditions.  It's sure looking pretty around the resort this morning!  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/7/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

1:05 pm  Was out checking the lake and Owen's Lake trailhead, #655, etc.  Trails are definitely improving and with the snow forecast we should be in better and better shape over the next couple of days both north and south bound trails.  Lots of activity on the lake around the shanties that are springing up everywhere.  If you missed my earlier warning please BE CAREFUL of the large pressure crack on the south shore area running from the Heights to the DNR boat launch area.  It looks to be pretty much closed up right now but that situation can change quickly.  Saw three multi-sled groups over at the trailhead.  Looked like they were all having a lot of fun and had dressed well for this weather (it's currently 2 degrees outside).  Have fun, sled safe or go catch your dinner and I'll keep an eye on the snow!  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/7/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:15 am  It's a brisk 8 degrees at the moment with a high expected today of 12 and a low tonight of 7.  Good news on the snowfall front as we are getting light flurries right now but it's expected to start snowing more late this afternoon and into the night with 1 to 3 inches snowfall in the forecast.  Sunday's high is 17 with a low of 11 and more snow to come late Sunday night into Monday morning - again about 1 to 3 inches.  Tuesday is the big day with a forecast of 3 to 5 inches.  Temps are warming up a bit for Monday at a predicted high of 28 and a low of 22.  Tuesday they are saying 38 high (let's hope not) and a low of 23.  Ice depths are 8 to 12 inches on most of the lake with the bays and shoreline being the thickest ice.  PRESSURE CRACK - please be aware there is a long pressure crack that starts just past the Heights and runs all the way to the DNR boat launch area.  This crack was open last night quite a lot but is closed this morning again.  BE CAREFUL OF THIS AREA.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/6/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:45 am  She's a cold one out there this morning folk with the thermometer currently sitting at minus 1.  We're expecting to get up into the low teens later today with a low tonight of 3.  On the upside it's a beautiful sunny day with no real wind to speak of so feels a lot nicer outside than yesterday as long as you're dressed for this weather.  The weekends temps are expected to be Saturday high of 13 low of 7 and Sunday high of 17 low of 12.  No real wind to speak of so that's always a plus.  We are forecast for snow to start falling early afternoon Saturday with an expected 1 to 3 inches or more.  With these cold temps ice is building very well out on the lake so the shanty villages grow by the day.  Looks like the walleye are hitting well from local reports.  Saw a photo this morning of a very nice 7 lber caught and brought in to a local bait shop.  I'll have some trail pics for you a bit later today.  Have fun this weekend, sled safe, hope you catch a big one out on the lake and don't forget about our live chat window here on the trail page.  It's a great way to share information on the fly out on the trails or from your shanty on the lake.  If you have a question put it up there and I'll do my best to get back to you as quickly as possible.  If you are out on the trails and see any problems give me a call at 989-366-6464 and I'll pass the information on the groomers.  Trail pics or go pro video (or hey that shot of the massive fish you caught) are always welcome so if you want to share forward them (with a description of where they were taken) to jo@americanoakresort.com  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 1/5/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

2:30 pm  We were back up to the Higgins Lake trailhead today putting a dad and son out on a couple of singles.  Beautiful day to sled with very good trail conditions around there and to the north.  We did get a few good bursts of flurries today though they didn't dump much snow at this point.  It's single digits cold folks so dress to impress Mother Nature - she's cold hearted right now!  Tried to get some new pictures up there but only have one for you as my camera froze up but since they didn't get snow overnight it looks pretty much as it did when I was there yesterday morning.  Ice conditions are getting better and better with 8" ice well out into the lake though still spots to watch out for.  With this bitter cold ice is going to continue to build very well over the next few days.  Ice fishing continues to be showing great results.  Just saw some pictures of a big pike caught over by the north shore the other day - nice fish!  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 1/4/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:00 pm  Showed you north earlier - now here is the south.  To be absolutely honest folks it's a bit rough still.  We really need a bit of snow on top of the trail to get peak conditions.  It's rideable and not bad but road crossings and corners have taken a bit of a beating over the holiday weekend and then with the rain and warmer temps for one day - well it certainly didn't help is all I can say.  I'd say the Yeager Road entrance to 6 7 north/south and the Higgins Lake Trailhead are my recommendations right now as good start points for a ride north.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!!

These next ones are Yeager Road for 6 7 north and southbound.

Update 1/4/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

12:30 pm  Spent the morning checking trails.  North is definitely the way to go folks.  They are getting more snow right now and the trails are in better shape at the moment.  Trail 6 7 from Yeager Road north is in good shape as is the Higgins Lake trailhead so both are a good choice for a jumping off point to head northbound.  Got pics of those as well as trail 7 at Fletcher Road and the Moorestown/Military Road area.  Oh and did a run west to hit 67 as it heads northwest around Fletcher and Pine Road area.  They got some nice snow over that way.  Forecast for us is a bit of snow over the next few days but with no big accumulations until Saturday when we could get up to 3 inches.  That can all change in a flash though so keep checking back.  Temps for now and through the weekend are day time highs low to mid teens with lows at night in the single digits.  I have more pictures of trails but will put them up later after I thaw out.  Winds today are a bit on the nippy side.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 1/3/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:15 am We got a bit of rain overnight and fog this morning as temps are rising to an expected mid 30's today.  Tonight we're looking at mid to high teens but Wednesday and right through the weekend temps are back to daytime highs in the mid teens with nighttime lows in the single digits.  Snow is in the forecast for tomorrow with quite high wind gusts predicted up to 40 mph but then it's settling right back down by Wednesday evening.  I'll be checking the trails shortly but don't expect any problems from the little bit of rain that did fall overnight.  As far as ice conditions most of the lake is about 5 to 8 inches of ice but there are reports of pressure cracks and thinner areas to watch out for.   I did notice that Lyman's on the Lake has now put out their rental shanties as well as a lot more private shanties dotting the lake.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 1/1/17 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:05 am  HAPPY 2017!!! What a beautiful morning we are having here in Houghton Lake.  Bright sunshine, a bit of a wind here near the lake but likely nothing much to think about in the forested trail areas.  Temp is 24 right now but expected to go up throughout the day to mid 30's with a low tonight of low 20's.  A perfect day to spend on a sled or out on the lake catching your dinner!  The forecast for the next two days is a bit iffy with temps rising during Monday and Tuesday to high 30's and rain forecast to start late afternoon on Monday and continue on and off overnight and into Tuesday morning.  They are saying we'll get less than an inch or so of rain so let's all hope either the weather people are wrong or Mother Nature won't be that contrary.  Really shouldn't do much to the trails though with such a small amount of rain but I'll be out checking the trails and taking pics after whatever rain falls.  Wednesday the forecast is for snow and a big drop in temps with daytime highs in high teens to low 20's and nighttime temps into the single digits right through to Friday.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/31/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:30 am  HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE - REMEMBER TO SLED SAFELY  We got another 1 to 2 inches of nice fluffy snow overnight last night so the trails are looking great this morning!  Temps staying steady and with no wind to speak of it is just a gorgeous day for sledding out there.  Took some pictures this morning of trail 6-7 which was quite busy.  A big party of sleds went by me but too fast to get any decent pictures to share (sorry) but it was nice to see the trails busy.  Also stopped and talked to a group of folks out on our sleds over on at Waco Road and got some shots of that as well to share.  They were having a great time especially the one young lady who'd never been on a sled in her life before.  It's great to see people getting introduced to such a fun winter sport!  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/30/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

12:05 pm  With another inch of snow falling the trails are continuing to improve today with good reports from riders I spoke to.  Temps continue in the current trend of daytime high at mid to high 20's and nighttime low to mid 20's.  Seeing more and more ice fisherman out on the lake and continuing to get reports of excellent catches in both size and number of fish.  Got some pics today for you of Owens Road, #654 and Reilly Road. BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/29/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

3:10 pm  Trails are holding up reasonably well with some icy areas on the turns to watch out for.  We are forecast for snow to start around 8 p.m. tonight until noon tomorrow with around 1-3 inches expected to fall.  Then snow again forecast for late Friday night until late afternoon on Saturday.  This should set up the trails for a very nice weekend of sledding.  Temps continue to stay cold with daytime highs Friday and into the weekend of low 20's to low 30's.  Nighttime lows are expected to be in the mid to high teens.  Ice conditions are continuing to improve with 6 to 8 inches at the shoreline and a good 300 or so yards out.  At that point it's dropping to around 4 to 6 inches.  I've seen some sleds riding close to shore but no heavier vehicles than that at this point.  We do have a few ice huts dotting the lake and from what I'm hearing around town the ice fishing this far in the season is pretty fantastic.  Got some pics today of 655 at Owens as well as Reilly Road and both accesses from the lake at Devonshire and Yeager Road.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/28/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:20 am  Just a quick update this morning regarding snowfall predicted for the next few days and into New Year's Eve weekend.  We got about a half inch overnight last night but are expecting snow to start up again tonight around 8 p.m. and last throughout the day Thursday and into Friday early morning.  Snowfall should begin again Friday early evening and is predicted to fall until about noon Saturday.  With the cold temperatures returning yesterday we should be in fine shape for a great time out on the trails.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/27/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:50 am  Thankfully after yesterday's unseasonably high temps we are back to mid 20's with a low tonight forecast of 17.  Cold daytime and nighttime temps will continue for the rest of the week with snowfall predicted for Thursday through Sunday.  Got a few pictures this morning of trail 655  in the Emery/Owens Road area.  Trails did take a bit of a beating but not that bad at all really and with snow in the forecast the trails should be fine.  With the melt yesterday and then the temps dropping so much take care on Owens Road as it is very icy this morning.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/26/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:30 am  Well despite the bit of rain we got overnight and into the early hours of this morning it doesn't seem to have affected the current snow cover by much.  At this time the rain has stopped and not that much actually came down.  Temps today are getting a bit higher than we'd like (into the mid to high 40's) but that's only going to last for a short time this afternoon and then it's diving back down to low 20's tonight.  The rest of the week is shaping up very nicely with day time temps mid 20's to low 30's and night time temps in the high teens to low 20's.  Snow is forecast for almost every day this week with anywhere between 1" and 3" inches to fall so it should be setting us up for great trail conditions.  The lake continues to freeze but with this bit of rain and higher temps today it's a think safety first situation.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/24/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:15 am  HAPPY  HOLIDAYS  We got about 3 inches of good heavy snow overnight which should pack down very well on the trails.  Temps are expected to get to low to mid 30's today and mid 20's overnight and the same for tomorrow.  Ice conditions remain about 4 to 6 inches near shore and in wind sheltered bay areas but within 60 to 100 yards out the ice is still very thin.  A lot of reports locally though of excellent ice fishing close to shore and in the bays so it looks like we're getting set here for an excellent winter of snowmobiling and ice fishing in Houghton Lake.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/23/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:45 am  Took a run down to Meredith (pictures below).  They've got some really good snow cover down there and saw a number of people out on the trails.  Temps today are expected to be a high of 38 with a low tonight of 29.  We are forecast for snow to fall starting mid to late afternoon and continuing into the night hours with about 1 to 3 inches expected.  Saturday and Sunday are forecast with low to mid 30's daytime and mid to high 20's overnight.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/22/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

2:55 pm  Gorgeous day here in Houghton Lake.  Temps for today through Sunday are daytime highs low to mid 30's with nighttime lows mid to high 20's.  We had a small flurry of snow overnight but are forecast for 1 to 3 inches of snowfall tomorrow.  Winds are low so it's making for some fantastic weather to snowmobile in for over the holidays!  Got some pictures this morning of trail #6 Waco Road and also Reilly Road.  Trails are looking good!  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/21/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:05 pm  It's been pretty quiet the last couple of days on the snowfall front with around an inch falling earlier this evening.  Temps for today, tomorrow and Friday are low to mid 30's during the daytime and mid 20's at night.  Got a report in from the groomers that they've done the 654 and 655 and are currently on the west trail.  654 is reported as being a bit rough at the moment.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/18/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:15 am  We got another inch of snow last night with perhaps another inch to fall later today.  Temp is a chilly 9 right now and expected to rise to about 13.  No wind and a nice sky overhead so great sledding weather.  Low tonight is forecast to be zero.  We're supposed to get snow again around mid week with about 1 to 3 inches forecast at this point.  Lake is continuing to freeze.  I saw a few fishermen out early this morning again but they are being smart about it and staying relatively close to shore at this point.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/17/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

3:40 pm  Quick update here and some pics I just took at various trails.  Snow has started to come down again.  Forecast says about another inch or two overnight.  I talked to a couple of guys out on sleds and they said the trails are in good shape and they were having a blast!  I saw a few people out ice fishing though very close to shore which really is the only smart thing right now as the lake continues to build ice.  Photo's below are the Owens Trailhead, trail #655, etc. BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/17/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:45 am  We got about 4 to 5 inches of snow total over the past couple of days.  Gorgeous winter morning today with temps around 11 degrees so it's setting up beautifully as far as snow and the lake continuing to freeze over.  Reports locally are the ice is about 6 inches deep near shore with it going to about 2 inches thickness about 60 yards out from shore as of yesterday.  Will check and update that later today or tomorrow morning.  We are forecast to have snow start falling again today this afternoon and into the evening.  Right now the forecasters are in disagreement whether it will only be another inch or so or depending on lake effect we could be looking at another four inches plus of snowfall tonight and into tomorrow.  Will keep an eye on that and report later.  Temps are staying below 20 day time until early into next week.  BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON AND AS ALWAYS THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/14/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:15 am  We're forecast for another inch of snow today and possibly the same tomorrow.  Still on track for the forecasted 5 to 8 inches of snowfall for this Friday with another 1 to 3 inches forecast for Saturday.  Temps for today and tomorrow are mid teens daytime with lows in the single digits at night.  Not much wind at all so this should really help with the lake ice.  Check out www.johndee.com for some great information on forecasts.  THE ICE IS NOT SAFE YET AND EVEN ONCE IT IS, ALWAYS BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON    THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/12/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:30 am  Houghton Lake got another 4 to 5 inches of snow over yesterday and last night.  Temps continue to drop so the snow is staying and the lake is continuing to freeze up.  Temps this week are dropping into the mid to low teens during the day and single digits for night time lows.  We're forecast for a few inches of snow over Tuesday to Thursday then a good snowfall of 5 to 8 inches for Friday.  Another 1 to 3 inches is forecast for next Saturday.  Sounds like snowmobile weather to me!  THE ICE IS NOT SAFE YET AND EVEN ONCE IT IS, ALWAYS BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON    THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/11/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:25 am  Got another inch of snow yesterday.  With little to no winds and cold temps the good news is the lake is continuing to freeze up.  Today we're forecast for about 3 inches of snow which is starting to fall now and continued cold temps especially at night are expected.  Night time temps for this week are falling into the single digits and snowfall is forecast for Friday of 5 to 8 inches.  THE ICE IS NOT SAFE YET AND EVEN ONCE IT IS, ALWAYS BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON    THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/9/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:25 pm  Well after a couple of false starts to winter it seems like it's here to stay!  Got about 1.5 inches last night of good powdery snow and another couple of inches or more today.  The forecast over the weekend is daytime highs low to mid 20's with nighttime lows in the low teens.  We are expected to get about another 3 to 5 inches of snow on Sunday.  The lake is starting to freeze over.  Going into next week we have a cold snap coming which should really help continue to build ice on the lake nicely and keep the snow around.  Looks like we might get a bit more snow Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.  Check back for updates.   Took a few pics around the resort today and one of the lake.  As soon as there's enough snow on the trails we'll get some pictures of that up here as well.  THE ICE IS NOT SAFE YET AND EVEN ONCE IT IS, ALWAYS BE MINDFUL OF ICE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON    THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 11/20/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

4:15 pm  It SNOWED!  First snowfall of the 2016/2017 season is here!  Friday it was t-shirts and jeans weather and then Mother Nature changed her mind!  Saturday and Sunday have been high 20's daytime temps and low 20's nighttime temps.  We got about 2 to 3 inches of snow but with fairly strong winds off the lake we saw some fine drifts building up.  Forecast is looking decent with more snow in the range of 1 to 3  inches for Wednesday and another 1 on Friday.  Following week so far is 1 to 3 inches next Sunday with maybe another inch the following Monday.  THINK SNOW!  Can't wait to see you all out on the trails on your machines or ours!  Just a few shots from around the resort this morning to share with you.  A bit more snow and we'll have trail pics up for you to enjoy.

Update 03/07/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:28 am  40 degrees at the moment with high of 53 expected today and a low tonight of 40.  Trails held up better than expected.  Forecast for Tuesday is high 56, low 51 and rain.  Wednesday is high 54, low 40 and more rain. 

Update 03/06/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:11 am  Temp right now is 22 with fog and freezing fog in some area so be careful as you use this trails this morning until this burns away with rising temps.  High today forecast to be 41 with a low tonight of 35.  Tomorrow and Tuesday forecast is high mid 50's and overnight lows of mid 40's.    

Update 03/05/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:59 am  Flurries overnight and continuing this morning.  Should bring a total of another inch or two of snow.  Trails are looking good with some areas a bit thinner than others and corners may be slippery but all in all in pretty good shape for this time of year.  Temps today should reach a high in the mid 30's with nighttime lows in the low 20's.  Tomorrow it's getting warmer with high 30's to low 40's forecast.  

Update 03/04/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

3:08 pm  Gorgeous winter day here.  Just got these photos direct from trails 654, 655 and 6.  Enjoy!

Update 03/04/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:39 am  Some flurries expected this morning.  Current temp is 4 with a high expected today of around 32 and a low tonight of 21.  Trails are holding well with good snow depths with some corners being a bit slippery.  Temps for the weekend are daytime highs in the mid 30's and nighttime lows in the low 20's Saturday night and low 30's Sunday night.  We are forecast for new snow on Saturday with a forecast of 1 to 4 inches.  

Update 03/03/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:41 am  No new snow overnight but cold temps kept anything from melting.  Current temp is -2 with a high expected today of 30 and a low tonight of 13.  Friday and Saturday are both forecast for daytime highs in the mid 30's and nighttime lows around 20.  Snow is forecast for Saturday with an accumulation of around 1 to 4 inches.  Sunday is expected to be slighter warmer.  Trails are doing very well so we're expecting another good weekend here in Houghton Lake.

Update 03/02/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:41 am  Got about another 2" or so overnight so it's been great for the trails and the lake.  It's currently 14 degrees with a high expected of 25 and a low tonight of 8.  We are expecting a few snow showers throughout today.  Tomorrow forecast is for a high of 28 and a low of 10.  Coming into the weekend Friday is expected to bring us another 1" or better of snow with a high in the low 30's and a low of 21.  Should be a great weekend to be out enjoying winter here in Houghton Lake.  Trails are looking fantastic!

Update 03/01/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

4:33 pm  It's been snowing steady since about 10:00 a.m. today and is expected to continue on and off until around 1 a.m. tonight with snowfall of around 5" so far and more coming down.  Trails and lake are in great shape again for snowmobiling!  Just got these pics in hot (or is that cold?) off the trail.

Update 03/01/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:05 am  Welcome to March!  Temps are continuing to drop here this week with a high predicted for today of 21 and a low tonight of 13.  Wednesday & Thursday pretty much the same with a high of 24 to 29 and lows both nights of 10.  The weekend is looking a bit warmer during the day with lows around 19 both nights.  The trail base is holding up better than expected and with the snow coming down today we may be in decent shape for the coming weekend.  We'll continue to check trails through the week and post updates about conditions for sledding and ice fishing.  THINK COLD & SNOW!   

Update 02/29/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:39 am  Much cooler this morning with a current temp is 27 degrees with a high of 34 forecast for today.  Got about an inch of snow late last night with more forecast for today starting around 11 a.m. (perhaps another inch).  We are looking at winds of around 20 to 30 mph with occasional gusts up to 40 mph so caution is advisable if you are out on the ice in a shanty.  Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night time lows are in the mid to low teens with Tuesday and Wednesday daytime temps sitting in the mid 20's.  Some trails held their base fairly well during the weekend high temps, others have gotten a bit thin.  THINK SNOW!    

Update 02/28/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:20 am  Current temp is 37 degrees with a high of 47 forecast for today with rain starting in the early afternoon with a rain/snow mix coming in by early evening.  With the warmer temps yesterday and today's forecast exercise caution on the trails today especially on the corners.  We are forecast to get snow Monday and Tuesday between 1 and 3 inches with temps in the mid 30's Monday and mid 20's Tuesday.  Nighttime lows for both days will be low to mid teens.  

Update 02/27/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:28 am  New pics from grooming last night on the trails.  The guys got 655 to Meredith done, 6 to Grass Lake and 654 Riley to Waco.  More grooming updates soon.  Looks like temps are going to hit mid to high 40's by late afternoon.

Update 02/27/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:28 am  Should be a perfect day out on the trails!  The guys were out grooming yesterday and all night last night so the trails are in great shape.  Last I heard the only area of any concern might be some portions of 6/7 where the snow depth is a bit lower than we'd like due to the high winds hitting it the other day.  Other than that all the trails are in great riding shape.  Lyman's tells me that the ice depth is about 20" and there's still sufficient snow on the lake.  AS ALWAYS BE CAREFUL OF ICE, 20" ONE PLACE DOESN'T GUARANTEE IT EVERYWHERE  Today's temps are forecast to hit high 30's to low 40's by late afternoon with a temp right now of 25 degrees.  Tonight should be in the low to mid 30's.  Tomorrow's forecast is low to mid 40's by late afternoon and the possibility of a snow/rain mix coming in late in the afternoon.  

Update 02/26/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:48 am  Beautiful day here today in Houghton Lake.  Temp is 18 right now with clear skies.  A perfect day to ride!  High today forecast for 30 with a low tonight of 21.  Saturday and Sunday are forecast for higher than average temps with the possibility of a rain/snow mix sometime early in the evening on Sunday.  More pics from last nights trail grooming and tree removal.

Update 02/25/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:56 pm  Tree down on 655 just south of Pond Road has been removed and the trail is clear again.  Good job groomers!

Update 02/25/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:22 pm  CAUTION CAUTION TRAIL 655  Groomers with John Deere and drag and chainsaws are at the downed tree at 655 just south of Pond Road.  PLEASE EXERCISE CAUTION AS THEY WORK IN THE AREA TO CLEAR THE TRAIL.   Just got pics in from groomers.  First is trail 655 before the downed tree area - the rest is of the tree.  Mother Nature and her wind sure did a number on this one.

Update 02/25/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:53 pm  CAUTION CAUTION TRAIL 655  Groomers with John Deere and drag and chainsaws are on the way to the downed tree.  PLEASE EXERCISE CAUTION AS THEY WORK IN THE AREA TO CLEAR THE TRAIL.   Meanwhile enjoy these fresh from the groomer pics of trail 6 at Grass Lake.      

Update 02/25/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:14 pm  CAUTION CAUTION TRAIL 655  We have a report of a very large tree down fully across 655 just south of Pond Road, between Pond Road and Claroskee Road.  With it being dark now and the fact that snowmobilers might come on this tree suddenly we are advising caution in this area.  Groomers have been  notified and are on their way there now.  A big thank you to Larry for calling this in.  I'll update as this situation is dealt with.  Also winds are still gusting occasionally so watch your visibility.  

On the upside, reports that trail 6 to St. Helen is in good shape and people have been riding it all day.  Groomer reports that he's just done 655 to Waco, then 6 south towards Leota.  He'll be diverting at Grass Lake to get back to 655 to help deal with this tree hazard but says the trails are in some of the best condition of this year right now.  THINK COLD AND SNOW!  BE CAREFUL AND MINDFUL OF THE LAKE ICE CONDITIONS.  

Update 02/25/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:21 am  We're just coming to the end of the storm that hit yesterday afternoon though are still under a winter storm warning due to high winds and blowing snow.  Looks like we got around 2 to 4 inches of snowfall but hard to estimate with the winds creating drifts and still blowing the snow around so much at this point.  I'll update that later as the storm ends and the winds start to drop.  Temps today high 27, low 15.  Tomorrow high 29, low 20.  Saturday is forecast to be above normal temps at this point.  Think COLD and SNOW!  BE CAREFUL AND MINDFUL OF THE LAKE ICE CONDITIONS.  

Update 02/24/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:28 am  A winter storm is on the way forecast to start around 2 to 4 p.m. today and last into Thursday late afternoon.  Snowfall estimations are between 5 to 8 inches with the possibility of more.  With the trail base holding well and this snow coming we should be looking at a fantastic weekend on the trails!  Temps for the next few days are mid 20's to low 30's daytime and mid to high teens nightime.  Think COLD and SNOW!  BE CAREFUL AND MINDFUL OF THE LAKE ICE CONDITIONS.  

Update 02/23/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:19 am  Temps mid to high 30's for the next couple of days with lows in the mid 20's.  Still calling for a snow storm to hit Wednesday which could see us get 3 to 5 inches of snow.  By Thursday temps are forecast to be getting much colder - low 20's daytime with nighttime temps into the low to mid teens.  Keep an eye on John Dee's daily forecast found here http://www.johndee.com/  Think COLD and SNOW!  BE CAREFUL AND MINDFUL OF THE LAKE ICE CONDITIONS.  

Update 02/22/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:52 am  Temps are forecast for low to mid 30's for the next few days with lows in nighttime hours in the mid to high teens and low 20's.  Still looking for some snow by Thursday with cooler temps for the coming weekend.  John Dee's forecast posted just moments ago is calling for a storm coming up from the south that could bring us 4 to 10 inches of snow.  http://www.johndee.com/  Think COLD and SNOW!  BE CAREFUL AND MINDFUL OF THE LAKE ICE CONDITIONS.  

Update 02/21/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:48 am  Trails held up better than expected after yesterdays high temps and rain with the base holding well in many areas.  Forecast for this week is warmer temps for the next few days but dropping low at night into the low teens or even single digits.  Wednesday and Thursday they are calling for chance of 3 to 5 inches of snow and possibly another inch next Saturday.  Temps looking to drop by Thursday into the low 20's daytime, low teens to single digits night time.  Think COLD and SNOW!  Looks like it's setting up to be a good weekend next weekend for the trails!  With such swings in temps remember BE CAREFUL AND MINDFUL OF THE LAKE ICE CONDITIONS.  

Update 02/20/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:59 am  Temps were in mid 40's yesterday with rain last night and gusts of high wind.  Today's forecast is a high of 41 and a low of 30 with some rain this morning which has now ended.  Tomorrow is forecast to be a high of 34 and a low of 12 with cooler temps returning early into the week.  DNR is reporting some pressure cracks forming on the ice so as always BE CAREFUL AND MINDFUL OF THE LAKE ICE CONDITIONS.  We will be checking the trails due to changing conditions and will get new pics up as soon as we can.   The two below are the Owens trailhead late in the afternoon.

Update 02/17/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:41 am  Snow overnight about half an inch or so.  Temps today are high 21 with a low of 7 tonight.  Some snow today in the forecast.  Tomorrow is forecast to be a high of 32 and a low of 26.  Trails are in great shape.    

Update 02/16/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:24 am  Temps low 20's right now with a high of 32 forecast for today and a low of 19 tonight.  We're supposed to get an inch or so of snow overnight tonight.  Tomorrow high 20 with a low of 5.  Trails are doing very well.  Guests over the weekend had a great time ice fishing.  Still mostly northerns being caught with walleye being a bit more elusive.  

Update 02/15/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:07 am  Snowing right now with 1 to 3" or more forecast to fall today.  Temp now is 15 with a high of 27 today and a low of 17 tonight.  Beautifully fluffy snow which should sit nicely on the good base we have on the trails right now.  Report from weekend guests that were out riding was that the trails were in very good condition.     

Update 02/14/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:48 am  Today's temps 18 high, nighttime low of 10.  Tomorrow high 30, low 20 with some snow in the forecast.  Had folks out yesterday running down to Meredith.  They had a blast and said the trails were in great shape.     

Update 02/13/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:48 am  We got a light dusting of new snow overnight.  Temps are -8 this morning with little to no wind.  Forecast for a high of 10 today and a low tonight of around -2.  Tomorrow high of 19, low of 11.  Lots of guests on sleds today heading out on the trails and some on to the ice to fish.  Have a fun day everyone and stay warm!   

Update 02/12/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:22 pm  We got about 3" of good snow today.   Groomers were busy today and got trails 6/7, 6, 655 and 654 done.  If you're riding tomorrow stay warm.  Forecast is for a cold (high of 9) but beautiful day.  As always be mindful of ice conditions.   

Update 02/12/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:40 am  We're forecast for snow on and off throughout today and into tonight also some flurries tomorrow.  Should set the trails up nicely for a great weekend of sledding here in Houghton Lake.  Temps are chilly but no wind chill to speak of so dress warm and come have fun!  Ice fishing continues to be busy out on the lake especially near the big weed beds.  As always be mindful of ice conditions.   

Update 02/11/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:30 am  Got another inch or more of snow overnight with snow in the forecast for Friday and Saturday.  Sunday is forecast for a sunny winter day here in Houghton Lake.  Day time temps are in the low to mid teens with Saturday being chilly and Sunday warming back up a bit.  Trails are in great shape.   

Update 02/10/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:59 am  2" more inches of snow last night with more in the forecast for Friday.  Our hard working voluntteer trail groomers are out right now making sure you'll have a smooth ride.  Grommer is on 654 at the moment.  Ice fishing is doing great with some really nice fish taking the bait.  Weather is cold but sunny.  Perfect Michigan winter weather.  For special accommodation and snowmobile package pricing go to http://www.americanoakresort.com/special.htm

Update 02/09/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:59 am  Got about an inch of snow so far with more coming down right now.  Temps dropping nicely.  It's a beautiful winter day here in Houghton Lake.  Trails are in great shape so come up and ride, go ice fishing or attend Fast Eddie's Vintage Sleds snowmobile drags and vintage sled show on Saturday and Sunday (Feb 13th & 14th).  https://www.facebook.com/fasteddiesvintagesleds

Don't forget to check out our new YouTube channel for trail videos and more! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMP_o68dKbgaNyibDTZXN9A

Update 02/08/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:48 pm  Temps are starting to drop with 1 to 3 inches of snow forecast for tonight and into tomorrow.  Wednesday and Friday forecast for more snow with much colder temps.  Shaping up to be a great weekend to ride the trails!  Had one of our regular ice fishing groups up this weekend.  One of the guy has this classic 1972 John Deere 500.  What a great machine it is!

Update 02/07/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:18 pm  A little bit warmer today than we wanted but the trails are holding up very well.  Temps still on the warm side tomorrow but Tuesday is bringing us back to cooler weather.  Forecast for this week is great with snow on the horizon for Tuesday.  Temps forecast to continue to drop all week and into the weekend.

Update 02/05/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:48 pm  So you want to be a groomer.......

Update 02/05/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:30 pm  Meant to get these pics up last night but busy busy around here.  Anyways say hello to my Trailriders of the Day!  A great couple visiting our lovely town and staying with us here at the resort.  They took a couple of our Arctic Cats out yesterday and by all reports had a blast!

Update 02/05/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

6:08 pm  We've had snow flurries on and off all day today.  Probably dropped another 1" of the fluffy white stuff on the ground.  Temps currently 25 degrees with a projected low tonight in the mid to high teens.  Got some new pics today of trail 6 and 654.  There's a group of guys riding right now from Houghton Lake up to the Mackinac Bridge.  Can't wait to see pictures and video from that trip!  I'll post them as soon as they share them with me.  The trails are in great shape!  Lots of people on the lake fishing and a big group just pulled in here with their shanties.  Hopefully some nice fish pics to share by the end of the weekend.  TAKE CARE ON THE ICE AND DRIVE SAFE ON THE TRAILS.

Update 02/05/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:55 am  Beautiful day here in Houghton Lake!  Temps are currently 18 degrees with no wind so a fantastic day to be out on the trails.  Weekend is looking good with snow forecast now for Saturday, Sunday and Monday.  New pics and more videos should be up later today as they come in to me from the folks out on the trails.  Check out our new YouTube channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMP_o68dKbgaNyibDTZXN9A

Update 02/05/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

12:34 am  Video from the Houghton Lake to St. Helens to Luzerne trip today.  Trails are looking fantastic!

Update 02/04/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:52 pm  Trail pics from the Houghton Lake to Luzerne trip today.  Trails are in great condition and everyone is having fun!

Update 02/04/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

2:19 pm  About another 1" of light fluffy snow last night.  More forecast for later today with snow forecast for Saturday and Sunday.  Great temps - cold enough to be great for the trails but not cold enough to make it uncomfortable for riders out enjoying themselves.  Have people out riding right  now.  They just called in and did the loop up from the Prudenville trailhead - 654 to 6 to 6/7 and said they are having a great time out there.  Had other guys running on to Lake City and down to Leota, did 654, 6/7, etc. said trails are fine.  They did almost 200 miles and are out today running other trails.  I'll report back once I hear from them.  With these temps and snow in the forecast it looks like we're going to have a great weekend here in beautiful Houghton Lake!  New pics and trail videos coming up!  ALWAYS BE CAREFUL ON THE ICE.

Update 02/03/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

2:50 pm  Got about 4 to 5 inches of wet snow last night but temps are dropping and we're getting some nice fluffy snow right now.  Temps tonight down to 21.  Next few days temps are forecast for daytime highs mid 20's, nighttime lows mid teens.  Reports in say 654 is fair though someone with a pickup truck tore up the base a bit.  7 to Leota is smooth with a few dirt corners yesterday but last night's snow would have taken care of that and dropped a good 3" on the trouble spots.  Corners on 7 reported to be a bit icy on the inside, snow covered on the outside.  ALWAYS BE CAREFUL ON THE ICE.

Update 1/26/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

4:31 pm  Got another 1" of fairly wet snow overnight and it's been snowing lightly on and off through today and forecast is for the same tonight.  Supposed to get more snow (possibly 3") on Thursday.  Trails are in good shape and should set up nicely for the weekend with this extra snow.  Everyone think COLD and SNOW!  Looking forward to another busy Tip Up Town weekend coming up.  Take care on the trails and remember to sled safely please.

Update 1/24/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

4:45 pm  Busy first weekend of Tip Up Town!  Have been getting reports from people fishing that the middle grounds especially the north side has thin/patchy ice.  PLEASE BE CAREFUL ON THE ICE.  JUST BECAUSE IT'S 14" ONE PLACE DOESN'T MEAN YOU ARE SAFE EVERYWHERE.  Forecast says we're getting temps into the low to mid 30's for Monday and Tuesday before it turns colder again.  Didn't get much snow at all over the weekend.  Lots of good comments about the trails.

Update 1/22/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

1:28 pm  Another 1" of snow last night.  Temps forecast for the weekend sitting around 28-32 daytime and 15 to 20 nighttime.  Reports are that trails are in great condition.  Saw some nice fish caught yesterday!

Update 1/20/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:56 pm  Got 1" of powdery snow last night.  Cold temps continuing.  Had people out on trails 6 and 654, Duck Lake Rd area today.  They said the trails were great and they had a blast!  New trail pics from the past couple of days.  

Update 1/19/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:56 am  Got a bit of snow last night.  Cold temps perfect for ice and staying that way over the next week.  Trails 654, 655, 6 and 6/7 were all groomed yesterday and today.  Looks like a great time ahead of us for trail riding (ice fishing too as we are hearing good reports on catches over the past weekend).

Update 1/14/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

2:05 pm  Last night brought us another 2 to 3 inches of powder and some great cold temps the last few days have really helped build ice.  Lymans is reporting 9" of ice.  New trail pictures will be up soon!

Update 1/12/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

2:05 pm  Got 2 more  inches of snow today with more coming down right now.  Temps are nice and cold with more snow forecast for the next few days.  Please stay off the lake it is very dangerous. Ice fishing is one thing, snowmobiles and atv's are a different story. If you are fishing, please check the thickness before you got out.  Don't assume because people are fishing in one area, that there is enough ice to walk out someplace else on the lake.

Update 1/11/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:05 am  I went to groom yesterday afternoon, started on duck Lake Rd. First corner had a very large tree down. I picked it up and then a few sleds came by and helped with the small stuff. There was a lot of moisture in the snow because it changed from a light mist to snow. I did Duck Lake to Waco and turned onto 6 West towards Leota. I took 6 to Beaver Rd and decided to wait until later. There were a fair bit of wet spots and although I could fill them I was using all the snow and then the traffic was blowing right thru them. I took 654 North to Riley. and going towards Reserve to get off the trail. Every time I stopped starting up again I turned up a lot of sand It was clear the better call was to wait until later when the temps dropped and the traffic cleared. There was a problem with the tractor so I came in. Tractor fixed I tried to get fuel as it was down to 1/4. The pump would't work. I called Mike J and he came and we got the pump working. I filled up and headed to Meredith on 655. I groomed to Meredith and back. Still a couple wet spots including a large one right at the trailhead in Meredith. I was able to fill 95 percent of the holes, and with no traffic and the temp at 10 degrees most will have frozen by morning. We got the most bang for the buck and a much more durable trail by waiting. I think Larry is going out this morning to do what I didnt get done. Todays high is 15 so he will also have much better luck from the start. There were a lot of sleds out yesterday for a sunday. I will post pictures when I get a chance.  Please stay off the lake it is very dangerous. Ice fishing is one thing, snowmobiles and atv's are a different story. If you are fishing, please check the thickness before you go out. Don't assume because people are fishing in one area, that there is enough ice to walk out someplace else on the lake

Update 1/9/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:05 am  Hard to tell how much more snow we received with all the blowing and drifting. Looks like 7-8 inches.  Will update more later. Please stay off the lake it is very dangerous. Ice fishing is one thing, snowmobiles and atv's are a different story. If you are fishing, please check the thickness before you go out. Don't assume because people are fishing in one area, that there is enough ice to walk out someplace else on the lake.

1:05 am  Just got done cleaning up around the resort and moving snowmobiles. We have about 4" of new snow since 7pm. The guests out fishing said the ice was 4-6" thick, a little thinner today than yesterday. Looks to stay very cold this week so its probably the best week/weekend of the season to come up and ride. Please stay off the lake it is very dangerous. Ice fishing is one thing, snowmobiles and atv's are a different story. If you are fishing, please check the thickness before you go out. Don't assume because people are fishing in one area, that there is enough ice to walk out someplace else on the lake.

Update 1/8/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

12:25 pm  Before the rain came we flattened several sections of the trails. This made a bit of a mess but it had to be done. The rain has not melted all the snow, and its supposed to get cold with a chance of snow tonight. There are lots of people out ice fishing some 300 yards out. I didn't get a chance to put more holes in the ice but I will go see what the fisherman are finding. Please stay off the lake it is very dangerous. Ice fishing is one thing, snowmobiles and atv's are a different story. If you are fishing, please check the thickness before you go out. Don't assume because people are fishing in one area, that there is enough ice to walk out someplace else on the lake.

Update 1/4/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:25 pm  I went out to groom but had to come back early. Went down 654 to Boyce Rd. The water holes have frozen, and some water seeped into the ground as it wasn't frozen yet. People were out ice fishing today, about 300 yards out. It did not get above 15 degrees all day, and its -2 right now. The lake will make some ice quickly at these temps. Please stay off the lake it is very dangerous. Ice fishing is one thing, snowmobiles and atv's are a different story. If you are fishing, please check the thickness before you go out. Don't assume because people are fishing in one area, that there is enough ice to walk out someplace else on the lake.

8:25 am  About 1.5" of snow last night and its snowing now. The low was about 15, and thats where it sits right now.  The low was in the low twenties. I will do a trail check today and put some new holes in the ice. Please stay off the lake it is very dangerous. Think Snow!!!

Update 1/3/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:25 am  No new snow last night. The low was in the low twenties. A group was out clearing the trails yesterday. Bob G, Mike J, Larry A and at least one other person cleared 6 and 6/7. I groomed to Meredith and Chris B groomed back. The water holes were much smaller and we were able to fill many of them. Still a few wet spots but tonight and tomorrow its supposed to be in the teens.  I am going to find out what companies were logging around 655. They left sections of 655 a mess. Call Jim Debo (989-366-4838) if you can help. The ice was only 2-3 inches out in front of the resort. It is very dangerous so please stay off it. Think Snow!!!

Update 1/1/16 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:25 am  Happy New Year!!! A light dusting of snow overnight. Lots of people out riding, still some wet spots wherever you go. The parking lot at the Higgins Lake trailhead was almost full, a looking down the trails they didn't look too bad. The same can be said for our trails in town, at first glance they look great but when you get into the woods there will be some wet spots. A big group of people working tomorrow, call Jim Debo (989-366-4838) if you can help. The lake is very dangerous so please stay off it. Think Snow!!!

Update 12/30/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:25 am  Just a dusting of snow overnight. People were out riding yesterday and work on the trails after the windstorm is ongoing. There were many large trees on the trails and small brush. If you are riding please pick up what you can. I took trail 655 from the parking lot and had to remove at least a dozen trees. I was behind a group removing the smaller stuff. I ran all of 655, Trail 6 from Grass Lake Rd to Waco and 654 from Waco to Riley. Removing treess and panning to pack the snow. We got a lot of rain just before this snow and there are many wet spots on the trails. Big mud holes. These should freeze with the nighttime temps. Mike J, Larry A. and Jime Debo were out all day and then they went to work on trails to Leota. There may be more that I don't know. The lake is very dangerous so please stay off it. Still looking for help on the trails. If you can come and help we will give you a free place to stay. Call Jim at (989-366-4838), the Houghton Lake Chamber of Commerce at (989-366-5644) or call us and we will get you phone numbers and contacts for trail maintenance. Trying to put pictures up but not a lot of free time right now. Think Snow!!!

Update 12/29/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:25 am  Winter showed up yesterday around 4 pm. From 4 till 9 we received about 5" of snow, then it turned to a snow/ice pellet mix. The lake started to freeze over. Still looking for help on the trails. If you can come and help we will give you a free place to stay. Call Jim at (989-366-4838), the Houghton Lake Chamber of Commerce at (989-366-5644) or call us and we will get you phone numbers and contacts for trail maintenance. 

Update 12/27/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

6:25 pm  Dec 27th and still no snow. Looks like things are possibly going to turn around in the next week. Jim Debo from the Houghton Lake Trailblazers called and asked for help. Lots of trees and branches down from the storm on Christmas Eve. Still people without power from that storm. If you can come and help we will give you a free place to stay. Call Jim at (989-366-4838), the Houghton Lake Chamber of Commerce at (989-366-5644) or call us and we will get you phone numbers and contacts for trail maintenance. 

Update 12/16/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

6:25 pm  Nothing good to write about, day 1-16 of the 2015-2016 sbowmobile season has been a bust. The weather forecast for snow play in all of the eastern US looks bad at this point. There is still work to be done on the trails so if anyone can help we will give you a free place to stay. Call the Houghton Lake Chamber of Commerce  (989-366-5644) or call us and we will get you phone numbers and contacts for trail maintenance. 

Update 3/05/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

6:25 pm  The video clips are posted below, click on the picture.

5:25 pm  No new snow last night and the low was 0. Mike J groomed the West Trasil yesterday, I groomed 655 to Meredith this morning. I left at 08.30am and returned at 04.30pm. I worked on the corners and hauled some snow from the Meredith trailhead into the first set of curves on 655 going north. Anyone riding today and tomorrow will get a great ride. It didn't appear the Snowpackers groomed to Houghton Lake (once again) so going east on 6 is probably a bad ride. Our trails may be in the best shape they have been all winter. Tomorrow is calling for a high near freezing and Sunday even warmer. Monday and Tuesday look grim. This may be the last weekend to get out and ride. I took several videos and if I have time to convert them I will do it. Think Snow!!!

Update 3/04/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

1:25 pm  We got 1-2" of snow from the storm and then a small amount of wintery mix. We rode to Mackinaw city yesterday, and the trails were a mix of clean to snirty. This week the temps are creeping up to above freezing and next week does not look good. If you want to ride this week is the time. If I groom tonight I will post pictures. Think Snow!!!

Update 2/28/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

1:25 pm  We didn't get any new snow but we have had bitter cold temperatures. Most of the local trails, 655, 6 and 654 were groomed on Friday. I went to Meredith and Captain Fraser met me there and finished up. He also did Duck Lake and 654. Mike J groomed 6 and the West trail 6/7.  The trails are holding up well considering the winter we are having. People are still complaining about Trail #6 from Houghton Lake to St Helen. If you are unhappy with that trail please call the local DNR office and voice your opinion. The Houghton Lake Club does not groom east of Duck Lake Rd and the 655 trail crossing. Think Snow!!!

Update 2/26/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

1:25 pm  The video of this mornings trail check is uploaded, click the picture below to view it. Think Snow!!!!

9:25 am  We got just a dusting of snow and the low was -15. I have a video from a very short blast taken this morning on the trails. I will upload it and place it here when its done. This will take a while as the GoPro files are heavily compressed. The trails were beautiful and flat but its bitter cold this morning. Our trail system is groomed and flat. Riders are reporting good trails on 6 to Leota, 6/7 to Fife Lake and Kalkaska, 655 local and 654 local, but terrible rides on Trails 6 from Houghton Lake to St Helen. I haven't heard one good thing about this section all year. If you had a bad experience please on that section please call the DNR and report it to them.Think Snow!!!!!

Update 2/25/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

6:25 pm  We got 3-4 inches of snow last night. There was a lot of blowing and drifting. I will post pictures of the trails after my trail check. This looks to be a great weekend to come up and ride. Captain Fraser returned last light from a 200 mile trip and said the trails were in excellent shape. At times it was snowing so hard you could hardly see. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 2/22/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

6:25 pm  Not much new to report, I will go and take some pictuires of the trails again today. We got a dusting of snow last night and a bit of snow Saturday. We had many guests out riding yesterday and all of them reported having a good time. Its hard to keep this snow packed in the corners as it has no moisture in it and it doesnt pack well. Please be careful when riding in groups this fluffy snow makes white outs for everyone but the leader. I was grooming Trail 6 Friday and was reminded of the guy that missed the corner just east of Duck Lake Rd. There are some flowers and a coffe cup where he struck the tree and died. He was familiar with this area. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 2/20/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

6:25 pm  We got a dusting of snow (again) and the low was -28. Nothing new since the pictures were posted, I am going to try and groom. I will try and post the pictures when I return. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 2/19/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

6:25 pm  We got a dusting of snow and the low was -17. Some guests rode to Meredith and around the local loops and said they had a great ride. Captain Fraser and a couple of his friends rode some local stuff today as well. Everyone said very few people riding today, probably due to the temps. It never got above -3 today and its -11 right now. I took a short blast to take some pictures and they are posted below.  Think Snow!!!!!

Update 2/18/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

12:25 pm  We got about 1/2" of new snow and the low was 2. The trails are in decent shape, some areas all white, some snirty. Some guys went to Leota today and we will have an update from them when they come back. 655 was groomed by Mike J on Sunday. 654 and 6 will get groomed today/tonight. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 2/15/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:25 am  We got a more snow yesterday and last night until around 10pm. Impossible to tell how much with all the drifting. The wind was gusting to 25+ for most of the day and well into the night. There are 3-5 foot drifts everywhere. The temp last night was -22 and its -20 right now. I will try and get out to take some picturtes but we have lots of guests with sleds this morning. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 2/14/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:25 am  We got a couple inches of snow last night and the low was -12. Today it is snowing on and off and winds are gusting to 40MPH. I rode the shoreline to show some guests to the trail and it is a whiteout. Be careful out on the trails there are large drifts in many areas. If you ride the lake remember everyone is hugging the shoreline and you cannot see more than 50 feet. So they can't see you either. We can't do much groomiung until this wind stops. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 2/13/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:25 am  No new snow last night, just blistery cold temperatures. They are calling for snow today and tomorrow. I didn't get a chance to take pictures but I will try and do it today. Some guests rode yeaterday and last night and reported fair-excellent trails. Fair being the end near Meredith. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 2/12/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:25 am  WE got a small blast of snow, hard to measure how much. No more than 1-1/2 inches and very gusty winds. We rode to Meredith last night and the trails were very good in spots and thin in others. Not bad considering the season we are having. I will post pictures today. They are calling for more snow tomorrow and Saturday. There was lots of drifting last night so be careful out on the trails. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 2/7/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:25 am  No new snow overnight and only light flurries during the day yesterday. The trails are holding up well and have had light traffic. Every trail in our system was grommed yesterday and last night with the exception of the West trail 6/7 leading up the West side of the lake. I spoke to two riders when I got to the 6/7 split on Canoe Camp Rd. and they said the trail was beautifuil.  Mike J groomed 654, I did Trail 6 to the 6/7 split, and Captain Fraser did Meredith. The West trail groomed earlier in the week and has seen very little traffic. The tractor ran from 9.30am to 2.30 am nonstop this morning. Captain Fraser also looked at the trail north of us (Higgins Lake Rd and Mitltary Trail) trailhead and said it was well covered. Pictures will be posted later today if I get time. The lake is well covered well and access to and from the trails from the lake is still good. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 2/4/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:25 am  We got 2" of new snow last night. there is more in the forecast and cold temps thru the weekend. The trails are in good shape, this would be one of the best weekends of the winter so far to come up and ride. The lake is covered well and access to and from the trails from the lake is good.  Think Snow!!!!!

Update 2/3/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:25 am  No new snow last night, and the low was 4. There is some in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow. We are going to do some trail checks today and see how they look. There was very little traffic on them over the weekend. Pictures will be posted today or tomorrow. Captain Fraser took a short ride from the trailhead to the intersection at Waco Rd and Trail 6 down trail 655. then he took 6 over to 654 and back to Riley Rd. He said all of it was white, with the exception of a few corners that people were blowing the snow off.  Think Snow!!!!!

Update 2/2/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:25 am  Hard to tell how much snow we got last night with all the wind. The low was -9. I passed Hal on his way out with the groomer at around 3pm. I believe he was doing Meredith. Mike J said he was going to do the West trail (6/7). I talked to some riders that came into town from Meredith at 3pm and they said they had a great ride and there wasn't any reason not to be out enjoying it. A couple guests on 2-ups went to St Helen Saturday night and they said it was nice scenery but a very bumpy ride. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 1/31/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:25 am  We got a dusting of snow last night. I never got time to go and take pictures yesterday, but I did groom last night. The trails are flat and are covered well. There were a lot of drifted areas. I took a few pictures and will try and put them up today. It appeared when I got to the intersection at Duck Lake, Trail 655 and Trail 6 that the St Helen groomer was there before me and had turned around. I saw marks from what appeared to be a track style groomer, maybe St Helen has one. Trail 6 towards St Helen looked freshly groomed. A couple guests rode to Meredith on Friday and they said they had a great ride. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 1/30/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:25 am  Hard to tell how much of the lake effect snow we got last night as the winds were gusting in excess of 30 MPH. I could see it on the radar and in the streetlights last night and the snow was moving sideways. Lots of drifting occured as a result. I will take some pictures of the trails and post them before noon. It is 10 degress now and the temps last night were below 0 with the wind chill. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 1/28/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:25 am  We got a couple inches of badly needed snow overnight and it is still snowing. The temps were warmer than the last couple days so this is wet snow. This will improve the trails and access to them from town. I will post some more pictures before the weekend. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 1/26/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:25 am  This winter just isn't throwing us any bones. We didn't get any new snow last night, and the low was -2. I took some pictures yesterday evening and they are posted below. Some areas are white, some are down to bare spots. It is flat but needs more snow. We have a couple guys going out today so we will see how their ride goes. Temps all week are well below frezing. .Think Snow!!!!!

Update 1/24/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:25 pm  Happy TUT 2015. No new snow last night. The entire trail system was groomed to keep it flat. The trails are ridable but some areas are very dirty. The trails North and East of us have not been groomed. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 1/22/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:25 pm  Happy TUT 2015. Nothing new to report, no new snow. The low last night was in the teens, so we haven't last any snow. The trails are unchanged because there are very few people riding during the week. I will post new pictures when conditions change. There is still good snow on the lake for the TUT and plenty of way to get to the lake from the woods. I will clear road ends at Townline, Jefferson and Reserve for access to/from the lake for TUT. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 1/20/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

01:25 pm  Happy TUT 2015. Pictures of a few trail crossings are posted below. These are south of town. 655 to Meredith is bad south of the County Line Rd. Still decent snow on seasonal roads and off trail. Some trails white, some snirty. Strating in Meredith and going north is a bad idea. There are still plenty of places to ride with decent snow coverage. The lake is still covered quite well for the next weekend of TUT. Access from Owens Rd is getting dirty. Some areas white, some down to dirt. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 1/20/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

08:25 am  Happy TUT 2015. Just a dusting of snow again, and bitter cold temps with a low of 8 last night. Trails 655 and 654 were groomed over the last two days. The west trail has not been groomed yet. There isn't a lot of snow to work with and there are some bare and thin spots. I will post some pictures today. We sent a few sleds out yesterday and they said they had a good ride. Both groups did about 90 miles, all heading north. One group went into Grayling. This is far from the best but its all we have so we have to make do. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 1/16/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:25 am  Happy TUT 2015. I went around the lake this morning and took some pictures. The open areas on Long Point and the large stretch near Denton Creek  has iced over. Please remember this is new ice and it is not as thick as the rest of the lake. It sticks out because there isn't much now on these areas. Just don't go looking for open water like you may have seen in other posts online and think if you dont see any that you are on thick ice. The arial pictures posted online on facebook show where the water was open. Tomorrows high is mid-30's but according to the weather it isn't supposed to peak until late in the day. Tonights low is 7 degrees. Please be extremely careful in the North Bay and Around Denton Creek. Check the area where you are going in daylight hours. Think Snow!!!!!

                                                                                                                                                                                  Denton Creek Area (Right 3 Pictures)

                                        Denton Creek Area (2 Pictures)                                        Flint Rd.                                                Long Point (Right 2 pictures)

Long Point (All 5 pictures this row)

                    Mead Rd                                 Trail Over Muskegon            Looking South Mead Rd &6/7                                    Muskegon River Mouth

            Co. rd 300 (Yeager Rd 4 left pictures)                                                                                                                                                                        Denton Creek Area

Pictures of denton Creek Area Today at 11.30 am (4 pictures)

Pictures below are of Denton Creek Take January 9th 2015

08:25 am  Happy TUT 2015. We got a dusting of snow last night. It is 14 degrees right now. The drag races start today. I am going to take pictures of the lake and a few of the trails. I will post them when I get back. Tomorrows high is mid-30's but according to the weather it isn't supposed to peak until late in the day. Tonights low is 7 degrees. Please be extremely careful in the North Bay and Around Denton Creek. Check the area where you are going in daylight hours. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 1/15/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

12:25 pm  Nothing new to report, just blistery cold temperatures. The trails are holding up ok, some areas white, some areas snirty. The lake has a lot of snow on it for riding and the temps will be good for the first week of Tip-Up-Town 2015. The high on Sat keeps getting lowered, hopefully we don't break the 32 degree mark. I will get the lake pictures posted today.  Please be extremely careful in the North Bay and Around Denton Creek. Check the area where you are going in daylight hours. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 1/13/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:25 pm  Just a dusting of snow last night and the low was -14. We will take some pictures today and tomorrow of the trails and poke some holes in the ice. Tip-Up-Town is this weekend so the trails will take a beating. They need more snow. These cold temps are making the ice much thicker so this weekend the lake around the Tip-Up-Town site should be much thicker than it was two weeks ago. I will update pictures around the lake Thursday. Please be extremely careful in the North Bay and Around Denton Creek. Check the area where you are going in daylight hours. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 1/11/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:25 pm  We had some warmer temps today, but it may have done us a bit of good. This should pack and stick a bit to help build a base. We ran from the resort to Dingmans last night, returning around 10pm. We caught the Rosco-higgins groomer on our way back. The trail was choppy before we past him. The trails south of town look a bit dirty, as did the trail before we came across the groomer. We need more snow. We will take some pictures and post them thru the week leading into Tip-Up-Town. There is plenty of ice near the TUT site, so that will not be a problem. Be cautious in the North Bay, still places with 3-5 inches of ice. I will post the pictures taken in the East Bay. This area was much larger than anything you want to skip across, over 1 mile long. This is still not the time to make a ride around the lake thinking sticking to the shoreline and you will be ok. Please be extremely careful in the North Bay and Around Denton Creek. Check the area where you are going in daylight hours. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 1/09/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:25 am  We got a couple inches of snow last night. I rode the shoreline from the resort over to Co Rd.300. I got off the lake and crossed US127 over to trail 6/7. The large area of open water that is in the pictures taken on Jan 2nd is closed up. There is still open water near Long Point. Also the area around Denton Creek is still open, and it stretches from the creek all the way around east bay, several hundred yards North and east of the Riviera Resort. This is not a year to show up late at night a blast across the lake. I drove the shoreline to get to Co Rd 300 staying very close to shore. This is not the time to make a ride around the lake thinking sticking to the shoreline and you will be ok. Please be extremely careful in the North Bay and Around Denton Creek. Check the area where you are going in daylight hours. We made a short video last season and never got around to publishing it. So we will post it today and hopefull it will get people thinking about snowmobiling and Houghton Lake. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 1/08/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:25 am  Just a dusting of snow last night but the low was around -1. I went over to West Shore to see what the Noth Bay looks like. It was snow covered but we did not take sleds on it. I am going back today during daylight hours to poke the holes along shore in that area. We have a winter Advisory today at 1pm thru tomorrow. We are rushing to get things covered and ready hoping for more snow. We made a short video last season and never got around to publishing it. So we will post it today and hopefull it will get people thinking about snowmobiling and Houghton Lake. Please be extremely careful in the North Bay. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 1/07/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

4:25 pm  I am posting these pictures taken January 2nd 2015. People are not understanding where this area is, or how unusual this is. This is taken off the end of county RD 300 on the West Shore. Three days before these pictures were taken this area was frozen, I saw it myself. It did not look safe so I did not take pictures. I am going to go and take a look at it again today, but these are here so people understand that if it looks frozen, it is new and very thin ice. These pictures were taken by Pete N. Thank you Pete for the pictures. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 1/07/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:25 am  We got a couple more inches of snow last night and the temps were -2. They are calling for snow all week so the trails should be great for the weekend. If you have been waiting for a chance to ride, now is the time. Everything around town is snow covered with the extremely cold temperatures including M-55. Access on Owens to/from the lake is good. I talked to a few guys from Clio yesterday that unloaded in Meredith and rode to Prudenville. They said the trails were in good shape. Larry groomed 655 yesterday, Chris groomed 654 and 6. Mike J was working on the West trail. Leota is doing their area. I will go and tale a look at the area in North Bay and see what it looks like after the few days of cold. Be very careful in this area as it has ice much thinner than most of the lake. I would avoid that area in the North Bay and around County Rd. 300.  Think Snow!!!!!

Update 1/05/15 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:25 am  We finally got some snow. We got 7-9" depending where you go on our system. I talked to Mike J and the whole system is getting groomed today. The pictures below were taken yesterday. The area in North Bay by CO Rd. 300 along West shore Drive has iced over in some areas but others remain open. Be very careful in this area as it has ice much thinner than most of the lake. I would avoid that area in the North Bay and around County Rd. 300. I will go over there tomorrow if i get a chance and poke some holes and take pictures. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 12/29/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:25 am  I checked the ice again and it is now 6"+ out front of the resort. All the standing water refroze and it is getting thicker along shore as the ice is expanding once again and crawling up the seawall. The low last night was in the teens and the high today expected to be only 24. The next few nights will bring some single digit temps at night. The area in North Bay by CO Rd. 300 along West shore Drive has iced over. Be very careful in this area as it was open water a couple days ago. It appeared there was still a small open area 300-400 yards out.  Think Snow!!!!!

Update 12/27/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

12:55 pm  I went out on the ice and poked a couple holes. The ice is thin along shore, but solid enough to walk on. At about 150 yards there was 6". There ate many peoiple out there ice fishing. One guy I talked to was from Indiana and drove up for the day. He said people there still have their boats out. So I guess it could be worse. A low of 25 tonight, high of 29 tomorrow, then low of 15 on Monday night. Then highs in the teens. It we get a dusting of snow it may be possible to get some rides in on the lake before New Years. It may be the only place in the lower we can ride. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 12/27/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:55 am  It looks like one more day of these temps, and then maybe winter can begin again. There was quite a few people out on the ice fishing yesterday and a few out there today. Iwill go and put some more holes in it today. If anyone is interested in ATV's we have a special, 4 ATV's for the weekend and a Chalet for $1000.00. Thats $125.00 each day for each ATV and a free place to stay for the weekend (up to 3 nights). We will update ice conditions again soon. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 12/25/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:55 am  Merry Christmas!!! 

 Not much good to write about, the temps are still peaking in the mid 30's almost every day. The ice is holding, but be very cautious along shore, especially if you are thinking of taking a quad or a sled out there. The rain keeps weakening the ice along shore. There are people ice fishing, some hundreds of yards from shore. . The hole in the North Bay is now much larger and you cannot get to CO Rd 300 on the lake going North along West shore Drive. The reason I am telling people this is when it does freez over it will be lacking thickness as opposed to other areas of the lake. From the North side of the lake it appears frozen as far as you can see, however it is not. Do not go out there at night without looking around. These temps have made the lake ice thickness vary greatly from one area to another. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 12/19/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:55 am  Not much to write about, the last week brought us warm temps and finally about 3" of new snow on Tuesday. It is 8 degress right now. The lake had thawed along the shoreline and the ice that had been creeping up the seawall receeded. I walked out there yesterday and it froze back up along the shore. The hole in the North Bay is now much larger and you cannot get to CO Rd 300 on the lake going North along West shore Drive. The reason I am telling people this is when it does freez over it will be lacking thickness as opposed to other areas of the lake. From the North side of the lake it appears frozen as far as you can see, however it is not. Do not go out there at night without looking around. These temps have made the lake ice thickness vary greatly from one area to another. Please be very careful if you go out on the lake. I will put some holes in it this morning out front of the resort and the DNR launch. If anyone is interested in ATV's we have a special, 4 ATV's for the weekend and a Chalet for $1000.00. Thats $125.00 each day for each ATV and a free place to stay for the weekend (up to 3 nights). The snow that came was wet, so if anyone wants to come and run the trails to make sure no limbs came down, we will give you a place to stay. Most of the work was completed by groups organized by Jim Debo of the Houghton Lake Trailblazers Snowmobile club. Please join their club if you ride in this area. The pictures below are showing the open area in North Bay taken yesterday on my trip to Innovative Fabrication in Higgins Lake. Bruce does machining, cylinder boring and welding as well as anything to make a buck. If you need something machined call him at 989-821-9028. He doesn't know I posted this, I just mentioned hime because we use him fairly often and things are slow up here. We will update ice conditions again soon. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 12/10/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:45 am  No snow last night and warmer temps coming for the weekend. If anyone is interested in ATV's we have a special, 4 ATV's for the weekend and a Chalet for $1000.00. Thats $125.00 each day for each ATV and a free place to stay for the weekend (up to 3 nights). The temps were in the high teens last night and we got a dusting of snow on monday night. The lake has 6+ inches out front of the resort and the DNR launch. There is still open water in the North Bay. The same place at CO RD 300 looking North and East. Still looking for help brushing and picking up the trails so if anyone wants to help and they can get a couple guys the club can provide the tools and American Oak can provide a place for you to stay for free while you are helping. Most of the work was completed by groups organized by Jim Debo of the Houghton Lake Trailblazers Snowmobile club. This season is bringing us wildly fluctuating temperatures. Please stay off the lake unless you check the area you are going to be on VERY CAREFULLY. These pictures are from a specific areas and do not reflect all areas of the lake. We will update ice conditions again soon. Think Snow!!!!!

Open Water in North Bay

In front of the Resort on 12-07-14

Update 12/07/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:00 am  I will start today by remembering Pearl Harbor and all of those that lost their lives on this day 73 years ago. By comparison this generation gave more than any other generation in American History in numbers of lost lives and those wounded in battle. And for the women that went to work in factories while the men were at war We should all thank them too. If it wasn't for this generation would be flying a different flag in this country... Sadly enough it appears that there is overwhelming proof that these men were sacrificed for somebody in Washingtons "greater good" and we may have been able to warn these men what was on the horizon. Let that be a lesson to all Americans. Stand by our country and our constituition, not by our President. Now a brief report, no new snow, bitter cold temps into single digits last night. The lake is making ice with these temps and no snow on it. Lots of people ice fishing out front of the DNR launce and Jefferson St. I have not taken a trip on the lake and put holes in other locations so be very carfulif you decide to out out on the ice. These pictures are from a specific areas and do not reflect all areas of the lake.

Update 12/05/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:00 am  A couple more pictures from this morning. There was 5" out front on Jefferson and a man fishing out in front of the DNR launch on Townline reported 5-6" where he was at. Please be very careful if you go out fishing. These pictures are from a specific areas and do not reflect all areas of the lake.

Update 12/05/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:45 am  No snow last night, and they dont have any in the forecast for the weekend. The temps were in the low 20's last night. The pictures below are taken from CO RD 300 looking North and East. It was frozen around Long Point, but slightly north of the Point was this area of OPEN WATER. In both pictures on the top left side there is an area with no homes. This is the State Park on the North side of the Lake. Still looking for help brushing and picking up the trails so if anyone wants to help and they can get a couple guys the club can provide the tools and American Oak can provide a place for you to stay for free while you are helping. Nobody has taken us up on this offer. This season is bringing us wildly fluctuating temperatures. Please stay off the lake. These pictures are from a specific areas and do not reflect all areas of the lake. We will update ice conditions again soon. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 12/04/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:45 am  A dusting of snow last night and the temps were in the teens. There was about 4" of ice out front of the resort yesterday. I will check it again tomorrow. We still need help brushing and picking up the trails so if anyone wants to help and they can get a couple guys the club can provide the tools and American Oak can provide a place for you to stay for free while you are helping.  This season is bringing us wildly fluctuating temperatures. Please stay off the lake. These pictures are from a specific areas and do not reflect all areas of the lake. We will update ice conditions again soon. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 12/03/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:45 am  A dusting of snow last night and the temps were in the teens. There was about 4" of ice out front of the resort yesterday. I will check it again tomorrow. We still need help brushing and picking up the trails so if anyone wants to help and they can get a couple guys the club can provide the tools and American Oak can provide a place for you to stay for free while you are helping.  This season is bringing us wildly fluctuating temperatures. Please stay off the lake.These pictures are from a specific areas and do not reflect all areas of the lake. We will update ice conditions again soon. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 12/02/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:45 am  No snow last night but the temps were in the single digits. This is helping get us some good ice. I will go out again today and cut a few more holes in the ice. We still need help brushing and picking up the trails so if anyone wants to help and they can get a couple guys the club can provide the tools and American Oak can provide a place for you to stay for free while you are helping.  This season is bringing us wildly fluctuating temperatures. Please stay off the lake. These pictures are from a specific areas and do not reflect all areas of the lake. We will update ice conditions again soon. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 12/01/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:45 am  It's safe to say that the first day of the official snowmobile season is somewhat a bust. The temps last night and now are in the teens. The snow that was on the lake all melted then froze once again. The lake is glare ice and the flattest I have ever seen.  We still need help brushing and picking up the trails so if anyone wants to help if can get a couple guys the club can provide the tools and American Oak can provide a place for you to stay for free while you are helping.  It is very dangerous out there. Please stay off the lake. These pictures are from a specific area and do not reflect all areas of the lake. We will update ice conditions again soon. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 11/30/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:45 am  The warm temps and the drizzle again melted all the snow. The lake is a watery mess once again. The thaws are making a mess on the trails and creating water spots. We need help brushing and picking up the trails so if anyone wants to help if can get a couple guys the club can provide the tools and American Oak can provide a place for you to stay for free while you are helping.  It is very dangerous out there. Please stay off the lake. These pictures are from a specific area and do not reflect all areas of the lake. We will update ice conditions again soon. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 11/29/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:45 am  We got anout 1" of snow last night and the temps were in the low teens again. I poked a few holes in the lake and there was only a couple inches out front close to shore. When I went out further there was 3-4 inches. I ran across the only icefisherman, he was about 100 yards out in front of the DNR launch in Townline. It was a man from Grand Rapids Michigan. He had already caught 1 Walleye. The pictures are below. It is very dangerous out there. Please stay off the lake. These pictures are from a specific area and do not reflect all areas of the lake. We will update ice conditions again soon. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 11/28/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:00 am  We got 1-2" of snow last night and the temps were in the low teens. The light snow has turned the lake all white once again. I will go out today and put some holes in it if its safe enough to walk on. It is very dangerous out there. Please stay off the lake. We will update ice conditions as soon as there measurable ice. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 11/27/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:00 am  Happy Thanksgiving. Nothing new to report, the cold temps are helping the lake make ice. It is very dangerous out there. Please stay off the lake. We will update ice conditions as soon as there measurable ice. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 11/26/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:00 pm  The water on the lake absorbed most of the snow that fell. It is pretty much a sheet of bare ice which is better at this point. It will freeze better without the wet heavy snow on top. I walked out there this morning and its only a couple inches thick along shore. It may be a bit thicker further from shore as all the water runoff thinned the ice along shore. Please stay off the lake. We will update ice conditions as soon as there measurable ice. Happy Thanksgiving in advance...Think Snow!!!!!

Update 11/25/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:00 am  The rain turned to snow at about 6pm and we received about 7" of wet heavy snow. The lake appears to have held, but all the water on it before this snow surely weakened the ice. This snow on the ice will affect how well it re-freezes so be very careful. I went down there last night when the rain first changed to snow and the ice along shore was very week. Please stay off the lake. We will update ice conditions as soon as there measurable ice. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 11/23/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:00 am  The warm weather continued overnight and much of the snow has melted.So far the lake has held. There is still 24+ hours of above freezing temps before this spell is over. I did not go on the lake due to the warm weather spell. The cold temps are predicted to return by Monday around 8 pm or so. Todays high is 48. Please stay off the lake. We will update ice conditions as soon as there measurable ice. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 11/20/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

4:00 pm  Just a dusting overnight, but it has been snowing on and off all day. It was a low of 16 last night and tonight its suppoosed to be in the single digits. I will probably go out on the ice tomorrow and see what its looking like. Please stay off the lake. We will update ice conditions as soon as there measurable ice. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 11/19/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:00 pm  We got a couple more inches of snow, probably 7" on the ground now. Mike J. has been out using this snow to fill in holes and start to flatten the trails. We don't usually get to do this until December and people get upset as we mix dirt with the snow. The lake is frozen in most areas but there are still a few open spots. Please stay off the lake. We will update ice conditions as soon as there measurable ice. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 11/18/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:00 am  We got a few more inches of snow, probably 5" on the ground now. As far as I can see on the lake it has iced over and is white from the snow. Snow in the forecast every day until Friday. Please stay off the lake. We will update ice conditions as soon as there measurable ice. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 11/17/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:00 am  A couple inches more inches last night and lows in the 20's. Large areas of the lake iced over. The East bay is mostly frozen as is the north side of the lake. It is supposed to be in the teens tonight with a winter advisory. A reminder to everyone to please stay away from the lake as ice is very dangerous early in the season. We will update ice conditions as soon as there measurable ice. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 11/16/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:00 am  We got our first measurable snowfall last night, a couple inches and its still snowing. Large areas of the lake iced over last night. I have never seen ice this early in November. A reminder to everyone to please stay away from the lake as ice is very dangerous early in the season. We will update ice conditions as soon as there measurable ice. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 11/12/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:00 am  This is the first udate of the season and it is cold. This is the coldest October/November that I can remember. A little more than 2 weeks from the start of the season and at least it has been snowing. We will update ice conditions as soon as there is some good news. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 3/8/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:25 am  The warm temps yesterday took a bit of a toll on the trails, but they held up well. Today it's not supposed to go above freezing. The next three days don't look good, so today is the day to ride. We will update again with pictures after the warm weather passes thru. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 2/28/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:25 am  We got a bit of snow yesterdayt and a dusting last night, the low was -23. There was lots of blowing and drifting. The trails are in the best shape they have been in for years, this late in Februrary. GroomerChris is running tonight on 6 and 654. The weekend and into next week looks to stay very cold so there will be good riding conditions. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 2/26/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:25 am  We got a dusting last night and the low was -7. GroomerChris and Captain Fraser finished 654 and 6 last night in the groomer, so most everything has a fresh groom. There is an advisory tonight for high winds and snow. The weekend forecast looks to stay very cold so there will be good riding conditions. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 2/25/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:25 am  Couple more inches in the last two days, and the trails are in excellent shape. If you are looking to ride during minimal traffic this is a great week. Larry was on 655 last night, and the ride to/from Meredith was like a highway. Groomerchris is going tonight. The rest of the system will be groomed over the next few days. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 2/22/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:25 am  We got a couple more inches of snow, then a lot of drifting. The drifts added to the snow we could pull in to add to the Base. The trails are in as good as shape as they were last weekend. If you want to ride, now is the time. Pictures of last nights groom are posted below. Larry did 655, Chris and I did 654 and 6 to the split going to Leota, and Mike is out on the west trail. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 2/21/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:25 am  We got a wintery mix, snow, and lots of wind. I made a 15 mile ride at 7.30 this morning and the trails held up well. The lake still has loose snow in places where the sleds didnt pack it from Mondays fresh snowfall. Access to and from the lake is still ok, Owens and Devonshire are still snow covered on the shoulders. It is extremely windy with light snow. There are small branches down. Please stop and pick up anything you come across so the groomers don't have to get out and do it. Pictures from this morning are posted below. Think Snow!!!!!

Update 2/20/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:45 pm  We got 4-5" of snow on Tuesday, and a dusting last night and this morning. Yesterdays warm temps did not hurt the trails too much, and the forecast for today keeps changing. We will update again by tomorrow morning. So far nothing today but snow. Hopefully the temps stay low enough to cause any more damage. We will update again by 9 am tomorrow. Think Snow!!!!

Update 2/15/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:45 pm  The trails are holding up well, the bitter cold temps are keeping the snow we have and there is more in the forecast. We are grooming 3-4 times a week and will continue as long as the temps stay cold. Think Snow!!!!

Update 2/10/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

2:45 pm  The groomer is out on trail 655 right now. I will be out on 654 & 6 tonite, so our system will have a fresh groom after tonite. It was getting a little rough. Well at least rough for this year, the trails have been great this year. So c'mon up fresh groom on the trails.  Think Snow!!!!

Update 2/8/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:45 am  I just returned from grooming 655 to Meredith. The trails are in excellent shape, these cold temps are keeping everything nice. I only took a few pictures and I will post them if I get a chance. I groomed Duck Lake Rd also. Meredith was a bit bumpy close to the trailhead on Meridith Grade, but for the most part it was in decent shape before todays groom. Chris did 655, 6 and 654 Tuesday, and there has been minimal traffic. We will probably run again tonight. Think Snow!!!!

Update 2/5/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

4:45 pm  No new snow since Saturday, trails are still in good shape. 654, 655 & 6 were all groomed last night and today. 6 toward St Helen from our 655 I was told today is a bit rough

Update 2/4/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:00 am  We got about 3" of snow on Saturday, and the trails are holding up well. These frigid cold temps are preventing any snow loss. Grooming is continuing almost every day and the trails are in the best shape they have been in since probably 2008-2009 season. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/31/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:00 pm  Took a ride on part of 654, 655 and 6, trails are good, nice and smooth and the groomers will be out again today and tonite. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/27/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:45 am  655, 654 & 6 (E. of Reserve Rd.) were all groomed last night and this morning. Trails are looking good. Still some ice but we're gonna have that the rest of the year. Really cold, about 3 below now, gonna stay cold for a few days. We got a couple inches of new snow last nite, some drifting. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/23/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:45 am  We got a couple more inches of new snow, and the temps were double digits below zero the last couple nights. The trails were groomed again last night and they are very flat with few places showing any dirt. There is still an icy base, so be careful in the corners. The second weekend of Tip-Up-Town is this weekend so there will be a lot of people on the lake. Make sure you have a trail permit, even if you are riding the lake only. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/21/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

3:45 pm  The whole Houghton Lake trail system was groomed last night, looking pretty good considering the snow situation. Groomers have been running every night. Could always use some more snow. Still some ice in the corners.  THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/17/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

12:45 pm  Haven't been on trails yet today, had to work on a rental sled. Drove by several trail crossings on the way in and the trails are white again, just be careful in the corners, still icy under the new snow. We got about 3" I'll get out on the trails later today and give a better report.

Update 1/15/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

12:45 pm  Haven't been on trails yet today, had to work on a rental sled. Drove by several trail crossings on the way in and the trails are white again, just be careful in the corners, still icy under the new snow. We got about 3" I'll get out on the trails later today and give a better report

Update 1/14/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

5:00 pm   Ok, trails are about the same as the 12th. Rideable, but could use some more snow, and guess what....IT"S SNOWIN!!!!!! Calling for 1-4, hopefully more but this will help. I'm goin for a ride in the morning so should have a pretty good update by noon-noon30. We're supposed to get snow into Friday. It's coming down pretty good now. We'll let all of you know tomorrow. Thanx for checking the page. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/12/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

4:00 pm   Took a ride out 655 from Prudenville trail head to 2nd Duck Lake crossing, went down Duck Lake to Waco back onto 655 to Boyce Rd over to 6 back up to Waco then over to 654. Took 654 back to Duck Lake Rd. Trails are dirty in some places, they are rideable. They're calling for snow Tues, Wed, Thurs and Fri. Don't know how much accumulation but will keep all of you posted every day this week  THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/11/13 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:00 am   The rain and freezing rain has taken a toll on the trails. We aill not be renting any sleds until we get more snow. The warm up continues so there isnt much sense in posting any pictures. We will update again when conditions improve. There is snow in the forecastr for early next week so we will have to wait and see.  THINK SNOW!!!

Udate 1/8/13 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:00 am   Nothing new to write about except extremely cold temperatures. The trails are holding up well, but the weather this weekend renmians to be the concern. They are calling for mid 30's on Saturday and that wont be good for the trails. It seems whenever we get a bit of a warmup it happens on the busiest days on the trails. Not much sense in posting pictures today, as it could all change by Friday. If you can ride during the week, this is a good week to come up and ride. We will keep an eye on the forecast for the weekend. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/6/13 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:00 am   We got a couple inches of snow last night, and the low was around 6. Everything got groomed yesterday and the trails are in excellent shape with the new snow. I cleared out the road ends in preparation for Tip-Up-Town and I started packing the road West of the Tip-Up-Town site onto the lake for the ice drag groups. I will keep packing this and keep it clear. The ice didnt buckle a bit. This should be a good access point for the ice drags. Trail 654 was the snirtiest of them all and with this new snow it will freshen it up a bit. They are all extremely flat compared to the connectors to other sections of trail system. Bitter cold temps and snow showers are in the forecast, but I don't see any significant storm over the next couple days. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/3/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:00 am   Just a dusting last night, Captain Fraser groomed Duck Lake, Part of 6 and Rollway road to US127 at Canoe camp. Some sections are great, some a bit snirty. Chris did 655 to Meredith. I am going now to do 654 and 6. I took a ride to Meredith last night and for all the nay-sayers the video will be posted below. I bought a Go-pro so probably more videos will be posted this season than stills. We need more snow but there is still decent riding. THINK SNOW!!!

Video 1

Update 1/3/14 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:00 am   Just a dusting last night, the trails were groomed last night Larry did 655 to Meredith and Hal was doing 6 and 654. Mike was out on the west trail. There are some thin spots, and some ice spots but they are holding up relatively well. We need more snow. The low last night was -5. I hope to have some pictures tonight but we have been very busy and havent had time to update. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/22/13 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:00 am   More snow last night, about 3" here, I suspect a bit more as you go south of town. Things are shaping up a lot and more snow is in the forecast. I will take some more pictures today. This is looking to be the best conditions in years for the Christmas break. I was going to groom last night, but by 2am it was really snowing hard. The lake has 8+ of ice out in front of the resort, and there are lots of people out ice fishing.  Be Careful on and Around the lake. Check ice thicknesses carefully before you go.  THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/21/13 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

12:00 am   We didnt get any rain, just more snow. Hard to tell how much, but there is about 12" on the ground here. I am going to make a short run showing some customers to the trailhead so I will snap some pictures.  Be Careful on and Around the lake. Check ice thicknesses carefully before you go.  THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/19/13 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

12:00 am   I took a ride on the trails and there is not much base. You can hear the ski's digging to the dirt. They have been panned and they have done all they can. We need more snow. They will not sustain much traffic, this is ridable but early season riding for sure. If 50 sleds hit these trails they will be done. The lake is good for riding and getting to the trails. Be Careful on and Around the lake. Check ice thicknesses carefully before you go.  THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/18/13 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

12:00 pm   We have from 8-14" of snow on the ground depending where you go on our trail system. The lake has 8" out in front of the resort. There is not much of a base but there is snow to ride. It will not take a lot of traffic with the snow that we have. There is a rumor of a system coming this weekend, and that may be rain/snow or a mix. It appears as though we may have something to ride on over the Christmas break and we will post pictures over the next couple days. Some limited grooming has been going on, but again there is not much of a base. The lake has plenty of snow cover for riding and getting to the trails. Be Careful on and Around the lake. Check ice thicknesses carefully before you go.  THINK SNOW!!!

Update 3/08/13 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

12:00 pm   We got about 1" of snow Thurs. night, and yesterdays high was only 31. The sun is doing some damage today, and tomorrow and Sunday dot look so great either. Its early March so who knows what mother nature has in store for us. Som pictures of the trails are posted below, these were taken this morning. Getting to the trails from the lake would be almost impossible after today. There will still be some good riding in the woods and off trail as well as the lake. Anybodys guess if they will hold snow all weekend. THINK SNOW!!!

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