U.S. Forest Service · Ottawa National Forest · Michigan

Bob Lake Campground

Bob Lake Campground, located in Houghton County, is 18 miles southeast of Ontonagon, MI, in the Ontonagon Ranger District. This campground features a single loop with 17 campsites which are spaced with natural vegetation for screening. Many of the sites are situated near the lake. These drive-in sites can accommodate tents, trailers or motor homes. Each site offers a wooden picnic table, fire ring, lantern post and parking spur. The camping loop contains three vault toilets, one of which is accessible. Drinking water is provided by a hand pump which is located near the campground entrance.

Open nowBooking not published17 sitesFrom $14 per nightTents only

More like this: first-come in Michigan · tent only in Michigan

Bob Lake Campground
Photo from the area. Ian Shackleford (CC BY 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
2fires
active
Blueberry Prairie Rx (prescribed burn) · 14 mi away · 366 acres
1 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
Fees$14 a night

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusOpen
SeasonMay 24 to October 31
ForestOttawa National Forest
Fees$14 a night
RulesFees shown are for the summer recreation period when full services are provided. During the early spring and late fall when no services are provided the fees at some areas are not charged. Camping in a developed recreation site is allowed for a period not longer than 14 days, except as otherwise posted. After this time, you must move to another campground or dispersed site for at least 24 hours.

Ottawa National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Bob Lake Campground10°20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 1.72 inches of precipitation, 24.8 inches of snowFebruary: 1.41 inches of precipitation, 20.9 inches of snowMarch: 1.53 inches of precipitation, 13.6 inches of snowApril: 3.20 inches of precipitation, 15.6 inches of snowMay: 3.02 inches of precipitation, 1.0 inches of snowJune: 3.42 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 3.60 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 2.98 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 3.53 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 3.36 inches of precipitation, 3.8 inches of snowNovember: 2.45 inches of precipitation, 16.9 inches of snowDecember: 1.72 inches of precipitation, 24.7 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 13.9°F averageFebruary: 16.1°F averageMarch: 25.4°F averageApril: 37.9°F averageMay: 51.4°F averageJune: 60.5°F averageJuly: 64.4°F averageAugust: 63.3°F averageSeptember: 56.1°F averageOctober: 43.7°F averageNovember: 31.4°F averageDecember: 20.0°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 in25 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Watton 2Wsw, 16 miles from the campground at 1,394 feet, station USC00208706 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 32 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 121 inches a year on the same inches scale. The shaded span is the published season, May 24 to October 31.

Getting there

Coordinates46.6622° N, 88.9143° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Blueberry Prairie Rx

    14 mi from the campground · 366 acres

  • Wildfire
    Craig Lake 1

    35 mi from the campground · 606 acres · 90% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗16 mi
RV sales & serviceKingStar ↗34.8 mi
Outdoor gearDown Wind Sports ↗35.7 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Bob Lake: Michigan National Forest Campground Overview

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.3 mi
    Nfst-1470-T
    0.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, e-bike
  • 0.3 mi
    Beaver Lodge Interpretive
    1.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, snowmobile and 3 more
  • 0.4 mi
    Nfst-T1470-U
    0.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 0.4 mi
    Nfst-1470-T1
    0.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, e-bike
  • 0.5 mi
    N C T Spur to Beaver Lodge
    0.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, snowmobile and 3 more
  • 0.7 mi
    Nfst-1477
    1.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, e-bike

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Ottawa National Forest.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Guidebooks for Michigan

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Best Tent Camping: Michigan
    Matt Forster, 2015
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Camping Michigan
    Kevin Revolinski, 2013
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Rail-trails Michigan & Wisconsin
    Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to camp at Bob Lake Campground?

$14 a night

Source: Forest Service

Is Bob Lake Campground open right now?

Open as of Oct 26, 2026. Season May 24 to October 31.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Bob Lake Campground have?

17 sites.

Source: Forest Service

Can I bring an RV to Bob Lake Campground?

Bob Lake Campground is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

What if Bob Lake Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Courtney Lake Campground (6.4 mi, first-come), Norway Lake Campground (20.3 mi, first-come), and Lake Ste Kathryn Campground (20.7 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby