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2011 Map of Otter Lake

Name: 2011 Topographic Map of Otter Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2011
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2011

About this map

The Otter Lake basin and its surrounding wetlands serve as the focal point for this rural landscape in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The Sturgeon River meanders extensively through the eastern portion of the map, creating a complex series of oxbows and floodplains that contrast with the organized grid of farm roads and homesteads to the west. Small settlements like Tapiola and Askel are defined by family-named routes such as Manninen Rd and Askel Rd, suggesting a landscape shaped by tight-knit community and agricultural persistence.

Evidence of local heritage is clear in the placement of the Kargi Cemetery and Askel Cemetery, providing valuable data points for those tracing regional family history. Infrastructure like the Otter Lake Lookout Tower and the Pike River Landing Airport underscore the area's ongoing management of its timber and water resources. The convergence of the Otter River and several smaller tributaries like White Creek and Worham Creek into the lake highlights the importance of this watershed to the local geography.