South Bay Provincial Park, Has anyone explored this property?

[robertmowen]

Random question...

On the shores of the south bay of Nipissing, there is a provincial park on the map labeled South Bay Provincial Park. The web gives some info about there being park land for exploring, but having no facilities. On the google map, there shows a pond nearest to the lake, and overhead photos actually show a building there in satellite view, and if you zoom in far enough on the map view, it seems to show the small box of land with the building colored yellow, not green to represent the park. Anyone know anything about this space? Is it a private inholding? Any chance that pond that is within the park on the map holds fish? I have always been curious if these meadow type ponds hold any fish, and would prefer to be more familiar before going through the effort to land a boat on the shore and buy a day's pass.

Thanks for any info to satisfy my curiosity.

[robertmowen]

map view.

[ronzigator]

For mapping in Ontario, I prefer to use the Ontario GIS mapping system:

https://www.lioapplications.lrc.gov.on.ca/M...TM&locale=en-CA

You can zoom further, and if you select the 'Map Layers' tab you can toggle between satellite view and property lines.

[robertmowen]

Thank you, That viewer offers me more information, but also more questions. Ha!

Those specific ponds are more impacted by vegetation than I first thought. More questions arise from using Google Earth, and watching the timelapse. The vegetation in the inland ponds seems to fluctuate significantly from one year to the next. Of course there are a ton of variables at play, but the change is sometimes startling. Without the luxury of knowing the exact dates of each satellite image, comparting seasonal changes and the pattern caused by it is very hard.

Hmm.... I'd love to make the 2km walk back to the ponds that don't ever cover with grass, but that's a tough go on unknown terrain, carrying fishing rods, and hassled by bugs.

[Northhunter]

That's a beaver pond. The vegetation change is likely more a reflection of image date than year to year fluctuation.
Beaver ponds are successional. If the beavers that maintain the dam move out, the water goes with them. Google maps still shows ponds that I know are dry.
Baitfish like chubs or dace might be common, but I've yet to actually see fish in ponds like the one in your pic. They tend to be quite shallow and weed-choked.. likely go anoxic in winter?

The "ponds" that don't ever cover with "grass" are likely kettle lakes. They would be deeper with a less variable water situation and would be your best bet for fish.

I duck hunt. I check out a lot of ponds

[robertmowen]

I appreciate your perspective! We'll see if I can make the trek deeper into the woods.

[jip]

The building in question is a hunt camp on a land use permit...there are others within the park.