Otsego Lake is located in northwest Michigan at ,[1]south of the city of Gaylord in Otsego County. The lake spans the boundary between Otsego Township to the south and Bagley Township to the north. Otsego Lake State Park is located on the southeast shore of the lake and Otsego County Park is on the northwest shore. The lake has many private cottages and homes with direct access to the lake and parks.
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In 1942, which was the year of World War II, Lake Otsego was the home of Arthur Compton. Arthur Compton was awarded the Nobel Prize for physics in 1941 for his work with the x-Ray. Shortly after receiving the award he was put on the Manhattan Project working on the atomic bomb.[2]
Lake Otsego is 1,972 acres (7.98 km2), and 5 miles (8.0 km) long and 1 mile (1.6 km) at its widest. The max depth of the lake is recorded at 23 feet (7.0 m) with the bottom shoal composed of sand and light gravel. The lake is full of vegetation which is submerged at the bottom of the lake with very few floating vegetation.[3]
There are an abundance of boats that frequent the lake during the busy times of year which bring along many skiers and boarders, as well as many tubing activities. Fisherman can also be seen scattered throughout the lake as well as the occasional seaplane.