Otsego Lake water level · MI

Wind forecast, gusts, and gage height for small-craft sailing at Otsego Lake (Otsego Lake Near Gaylord).

Good to know 📏 Reading USGS water gauges: elevation vs. gage height 💨 Gust factor: an indicator of jibe-crash risk
Otsego Lake water level

Gage height recorded at USGS gauge 445512084415301, refreshed every 15 minutes to 1 hour depending on the sensor.

Gage height

3.66ft

recorded Nov 4, 7:00 AM

24-hr change

+0.05ft

rising

7-day change

+0.01ft

rising

14-day range

3.64–3.69ft

lowest to highest

Recent daily readings

DateLevel (ft)Δ day
Nov 4●3.66↑ 0.01
Nov 33.650
Nov 23.650
Nov 13.65↑ 0.01
Oct 313.64↓ 0.03
Oct 303.670
Oct 293.67↑ 0.02
Oct 283.650
Oct 273.65↓ 0.02
Oct 263.67↓ 0.01
Oct 253.68↑ 0.01
Oct 243.67↓ 0.01
Oct 233.68↓ 0.01
Oct 223.69—

Readings fetched Nov 4, 8:12 AM; the chart above loads the latest data live from USGS.

Otsego Lake water level questions

What is the water level at Otsego Lake today?
3.66 ft, recorded Nov 4, 7:00 AM at USGS gauge 445512084415301. The chart above refreshes live from the same gauge.
Is Otsego Lake rising or falling?
steady — 0.01 ft over the last 7 days.
How does this compare to normal for Otsego Lake?
Over the last 14 days the gauge has ranged from 3.64 ft to 3.69 ft; today's reading sits in the middle of that range.
Where does the water level data for Otsego Lake come from?
USGS gauge 445512084415301 (Otsego Lake Near Gaylord), which reports every 15 minutes to 1 hour. Readings are provisional until reviewed by the USGS.
What is the water temperature at Otsego Lake?
This gauge has no live water-temperature sensor — the fishing tab shows a seasonal estimate based on air temperature.

Gage height history

Gage height · USGS gauge 445512084415301

Reading the chart. This gauge reports gage height — the depth of water above the sensor reference point, not absolute elevation. Trends matter more than the absolute number: a falling trend means shrinking launch depth.

Water levels respond to dam operations, irrigation drawdown, snowmelt, and recent rainfall. For launch decisions, combine the trend here with the wind forecast — low water plus strong wind makes steep, tired ramps.

About this lake

Location
44.9306°, -84.6923°
Gauge datum
1,270 ft
USGS gauge
445512084415301
Water temp sensor
No

Water level data comes from the USGS gauge above; wind is modeled for the lake’s coordinates by Open-Meteo. Always confirm conditions locally before launching — shorelines, ramps, and trees can all change what you feel on the water. Midwest lakes are dominated by pre-frontal south winds that build through the day, then swing northwest sharply behind a cold front — the shift can arrive in minutes and double the gusts, especially on east–west basins.

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