Otsego Lake State Park is a 62-acre park run by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources on the southeast shore of Otsego Lake, in Otsego Lake Township about 6.5 miles south of downtown Gaylord. It opened in 1920, and the Civilian Conservation Corps added a bathhouse and other buildings in the 1930s. Today it has about half a mile of sandy shoreline, a day-use beach, a boat launch, a fishing pier and a modern campground on the slope above the water.

The entrance is at 7136 Old US 27 South, a short drive from I-75 by way of Old 27 out of Gaylord. Follow the park road to the day-use lot beside the beach building. The same lot area serves the two-lane boat ramp, one of only two public launches on the lake, and the DNR warns that ramp parking often fills early on summer days. The Iron Belle Trail runs along Old 27 past the gate if you would rather bike in from Gaylord.

The main swim area is a buoyed beach in front of the beach building in the day-use area, with a second buoyed area farther north along the shore below the north campground. The bottom is sand. Otsego Lake is a fairly shallow inland lake, 1,971 acres with a maximum depth of about 23 feet, so it warms up faster than the bigger northern Michigan lakes, though the water can still feel cool in June. There is no current, though a stiff wind across the open lake can build a chop. The DNR does not list lifeguards here, so treat it as an unguarded beach and keep children within reach. An accessible boardwalk and pathway reach both swim areas, and a beach wheelchair can be borrowed on request, first come, first served.

Entry is not free, but there is no separate beach charge. Every vehicle needs a Michigan Recreation Passport. Michigan-plated cars pay $15 when it is added at license plate renewal through the Secretary of State, or that price plus a $5 convenience fee when bought at a park. Out-of-state vehicles can buy a $12 daily pass (good for any state park that day) or a $42 annual pass at the park. Restrooms in the beach building are open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, and vault toilets cover the rest of the year. We could not confirm current daily gate hours, so call the park office at 989-732-5485 if you plan an early or late swim.

The Health Department of Northwest Michigan samples this beach for E. coli during its summer monitoring program, which starts in late June. Full-body contact advisories have been posted here before and lifted after a retest came back below the state standard. Check for posted signs at the beach, and skip swimming for a day or two after heavy rain. Boats use the lake heavily on summer weekends, so stay inside the buoys. Construction has closed parts of the campground and the Lake to Lake Rentals concession at times, so check the DNR page before you go.

Beyond the beach there is a picnic area with grills, two reservable pavilions (one built in the CCC era and attached to the beach building), a playground, volleyball and basketball courts and an accessible fishing pier. Anglers go after bluegill, perch, bass, walleye, northern pike and sturgeon. When the concession is running it rents kayaks, canoes and paddleboards from the beach. The campground has about 160 sites and a mini cabin.