Lake Ovid is a

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

located within

Sleepy Hollow State Park Sleepy Hollow State Park is a public recreation area covering in the townships of Ovid and Victor in Clinton County, Michigan. The state park is located off US-127 nine miles southeast of St. Johns and four miles northwest of Laingsburg and ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

, created in the 1970s with the construction of a dam on the

Little Maple River The Little Maple River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed May 19, 2011 tributary of the Maple River in the central part of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Mic ...

. With an average depth of , Lake Ovid is generally fairly shallow, with depths never exceeding . Many freshwater fish live in the lake including

Largemouth Bass The largemouth bass (''Micropterus salmoides'') is a carnivorous freshwater gamefish in the Centrarchidae ( sunfish) family, a species of black bass native to the eastern and central United States, southeastern Canada and northern Mexico, but ...

, Smallmouth Bass,

Bluegill The bluegill (''Lepomis macrochirus''), sometimes referred to as "bream", "brim", "sunny", or "copper nose" as is common in Texas, is a species of North American freshwater fish, native to and commonly found in streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and ...

Rock Bass The rock bass (''Ambloplites rupestris''), also known as the rock perch, goggle-eye, red eye, and black perch, is a freshwater fish native to east-central North America. This red eyed creature is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish fa ...

Crappie Crappies () are two species of North American freshwater fish of the genus ''Pomoxis'' in the family Centrarchidae (sunfishes). Both species of crappies are popular game fish among recreational anglers. Etymology The genus name ''Pomoxis'' ...

Channel Catfish The channel catfish (''Ictalurus punctatus'') is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States, the ...

Muskellunge The muskellunge ''(Esox masquinongy)'', often shortened to muskie, musky or lunge is a species of large freshwater predatory fish native to North America. It is the largest member of the pike family, Esocidae. Origin of name The name "muskellun ...

(Muskie), and

Northern Pike The northern pike (''Esox lucius'') is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus '' Esox'' (the pikes). They are typical of brackish and fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere (''i.e.'' holarctic in distribution). They are known simply as a ...

. The

Michigan Department of Natural Resources The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the agency of the state of Michigan charged with maintaining natural resources such as state parks, state forests, and recreation areas. It is governed by a director appointed by the Governor a ...

(DNR) has been monitoring the fish population annually and has determined that the smaller species of panfish have been reproducing prolifically and future stocking is going to focus on Muskellunge and Catfish. These predatory species have plenty to eat in the lake and an increase in their numbers will bring a balance to the

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...

. A boat landing is available at no charge to anyone with a Michigan State park sticker on their vehicle and is located on the west side of the lake. A "no wake" policy is enforced on the lake in order to maintain a peaceful fishing and boating environment. Many anglers choose to propel their vessels using electric trolling motors which allow for stealthy approaches to fishing locations and wildlife viewing. Canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddle boards are available for rent from the park for $25 per day. The dam holding back the

is about 30 feet in height, over 1,000 feet in length and is constructed of

earthen Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former term ...

mass. The drainage area encompasses over 10 square miles.

References

*http://www.michigandnr.com/ParksandTrails/Details.aspx?id=495&type=SPRK Bodies of water of Clinton County, Michigan

Ovid Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the th ...

Protected areas of Clinton County, Michigan {{ClintonCountyMI-geo-stub