Sparrow Lake
Encyclopedia
Sparrow Lake is a lake
located in the south-central region of the Province of Ontario
, Canada
. It is situated north-west of the town of Orillia and south of the town of Gravenhurst, Ontario
and approximately 150 kilometres and a 1.5 hour drive north of the Greater Toronto Area
.
Sparrow Lake is the most southerly lake in the popular Muskoka tourist region.
The lake was named after a William Sparrow, an Englishman, who fished and hunted the area in the 19th century. He disappeared one summer giving rise to stories that he may have been murdered.
It is also slightly famous as being the northern setting for the Showcase tv show Paradise Falls
. Various settings and lodges around the lake were used for filming.
There is an abundance of resorts and lodges on the lake. There is also two golf courses, Lake St. George Golf Club and Evergreen Golf Center within 3 km.
http://www.trentsevern.com, a series of rivers, lakes and canals running southwest from Severn Sound on the eastern shore of Lake Huron
's Georgian Bay
, up the Severn River
, through Lake Couchiching
, Lake Simcoe
and the Kawartha Lakes
and down the Trent River
across south-central Ontario to the northern shore of Lake Ontario
.
The lake is approximately 7 kilometres in length and between 1 and 2 kilometres in width, with a maximum depth of approximately 12 metres and an average depth of approximately 4 metres. The main inflow and outflow is the Severn River, which in turn drains the Lake Simcoe, Lake Couchiching and Black River
watersheds. Other inflows are the Kahshe River (Kahshe Lake
/Gartersnake) and the Beaver Creek watersheds.
Situated on the southern edge of the Canadian Shield
, the lake is spotted with granite islands and surrounded by rocky, well-treed shorelines. Shoreline development consists mainly of road-access recreational cottage properties with several resorts and full-service marinas accessible by road and water.
Other fish species caught by anglers include Yellow perch
, Rock bass
, Black crappie, Pumpkinseed
, Bluegill
, Channel catfish
and Bowfin
.
Sparrow Lake, with its clear, warm waters also hosts an abundance of aquatic vegetation, mollusks and crustaceans.
, the largest moon of Saturn
, has been named 'Sparrow Lacus', after Sparrow Lake.http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/jsp/FeatureTypesData2.jsp?systemID=6&bodyID=30&typeID=19&system=Saturn&body=Titan&type=Lacus&sort=AName&show=Fname&show=Lat&show=Long&show=Diam&show=Stat&show=Orig
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
located in the south-central region of the Province of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is situated north-west of the town of Orillia and south of the town of Gravenhurst, Ontario
Gravenhurst, Ontario
Gravenhurst is a town in the Muskoka Region of Ontario, Canada. It is located approximately south of Bracebridge, Ontario. The mayor is Paisley Donaldson...
and approximately 150 kilometres and a 1.5 hour drive north of the Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
.
Sparrow Lake is the most southerly lake in the popular Muskoka tourist region.
The lake was named after a William Sparrow, an Englishman, who fished and hunted the area in the 19th century. He disappeared one summer giving rise to stories that he may have been murdered.
It is also slightly famous as being the northern setting for the Showcase tv show Paradise Falls
Paradise Falls
Paradise Falls is a weekly soap opera shown nationally on the Showcase channel in Canada, starting in 2001. It is set in a summer cottage community in Central Ontario....
. Various settings and lodges around the lake were used for filming.
There is an abundance of resorts and lodges on the lake. There is also two golf courses, Lake St. George Golf Club and Evergreen Golf Center within 3 km.
Geography
This small, shallow, fresh body of water is a part of the Trent-Severn WaterwayTrent-Severn Waterway
The Trent–Severn Waterway is a Canadian canal system formerly used for industrial and transportation purposes and now for recreational and tourism purposes, connecting Lake Ontario at Trenton to the Georgian Bay portion of Lake Huron at Port Severn...
http://www.trentsevern.com, a series of rivers, lakes and canals running southwest from Severn Sound on the eastern shore of Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
's Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay is a large bay of Lake Huron, located entirely within Ontario, Canada...
, up the Severn River
Severn River (central Ontario)
The Severn River is a river in central Ontario, Canada. Its headwaters are located at the north end of Lake Couchiching. It drains Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe...
, through Lake Couchiching
Lake Couchiching
Lake Couchiching, from the Ojibwe gojijiing meaning "inlet", is a small lake in Central Ontario separated from Lake Simcoe by a narrow channel. The Trent-Severn Waterway enters Lake Simcoe by the Talbot River and exits this lake by the Severn River which empties into Georgian Bay...
, Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe is a lake in Southern Ontario, Canada, the fourth-largest lake wholly in the province, after Lake Nipigon, Lac Seul, and Lake Nipissing. At the time of the first European contact in the 17th century the lake was called Ouentironk by the Huron natives...
and the Kawartha Lakes
Kawartha Lakes
The city of Kawartha Lakes is a unitary municipality in Central Ontario, Canada. Although called a city, Kawartha Lakes is the size of a typical Ontarian county and is mostly rural....
and down the Trent River
Trent River (Ontario)
The Trent River is a river in southeastern Ontario which flows from Rice Lake to empty into the Bay of Quinte on Lake Ontario. This river is part of the Trent-Severn Waterway which leads to Georgian Bay. The river is 90 km long...
across south-central Ontario to the northern shore of Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
.
The lake is approximately 7 kilometres in length and between 1 and 2 kilometres in width, with a maximum depth of approximately 12 metres and an average depth of approximately 4 metres. The main inflow and outflow is the Severn River, which in turn drains the Lake Simcoe, Lake Couchiching and Black River
Black River (Ontario)
Black River may refer to several rivers by that name in the province of Ontario, Canada.*The Black River in Hastings County, Ontario joins the Moira River near Tweed, Ontario....
watersheds. Other inflows are the Kahshe River (Kahshe Lake
Kahshe Lake
Kahshe Lake is a lake situated in the Muskoka region in Ontario, Canada . It is one of the main cottaging lakes in the region and is the fourth largest of these lakes by area. There are approximately 600 cottages on the lake...
/Gartersnake) and the Beaver Creek watersheds.
Situated on the southern edge of the Canadian Shield
Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield, also called the Laurentian Plateau, or Bouclier Canadien , is a vast geological shield covered by a thin layer of soil that forms the nucleus of the North American or Laurentia craton. It is an area mostly composed of igneous rock which relates to its long volcanic history...
, the lake is spotted with granite islands and surrounded by rocky, well-treed shorelines. Shoreline development consists mainly of road-access recreational cottage properties with several resorts and full-service marinas accessible by road and water.
Flora and fauna
The lake is considered quite productive in terms of aquatic plants and fish, with nutrient values being towards the higher end of the mesotrophic range.Fish
Principal angling gamefish inhabitating Sparrow Lake include:- Largemouth bassLargemouth bassThe largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
- Smallmouth bassSmallmouth bassThe smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
- Northern pikeNorthern PikeThe northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
- WalleyeWalleyeWalleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
- MuskellungeMuskellungeA muskellunge , also known as a muskelunge, muscallonge, milliganong, or maskinonge , is a large, relatively uncommon freshwater fish of North America. Muskellunge are the largest member of the pike family, Esocidae...
Other fish species caught by anglers include Yellow perch
Yellow perch
The yellow perch is a species of perch found in the United States and Canada, where it is often referred to by the shortform perch. Yellow perch look similar to the European perch, but are paler and more yellowish, with less red in the fins. They have six to eight dark, vertical bars on their sides...
, Rock bass
Rock bass
The rock bass , also known as the rock perch, goggle-eye, or red eye is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. They are similar in appearance to smallmouth bass but are usually quite a bit smaller...
, Black crappie, Pumpkinseed
Pumpkinseed
The pumpkinseed sunfish is a freshwater fish of the sunfish family of order Perciformes. It is also referred to as "pond perch", "common sunfish", "punkys", and "sunny".-Range and distribution:...
, Bluegill
Bluegill
The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...
, Channel catfish
Channel catfish
Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States they are the most fished catfish species with approximately 8...
and Bowfin
Bowfin
The Bowfin, Amia calva, is the last surviving member of the order Amiiformes , and of the family Amiidae...
.
Birds
Bird species inhabiting the lake and surrounding area include:- Seagulls
- TernTernTerns are seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily of the gull family Laridae . They form a lineage with the gulls and skimmers which in turn is related to skuas and auks...
s - LoonLoonThe loons or divers are a group of aquatic birds found in many parts of North America and northern Eurasia...
s - CormorantCormorantThe bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 species of cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed recently, and the number of genera is disputed.- Names :...
s - Canada Geese
- OspreyOspreyThe Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
- Turkey Vultures
- Mallard Ducks and other waterfowl.
Sparrow Lake, with its clear, warm waters also hosts an abundance of aquatic vegetation, mollusks and crustaceans.
Namesakes
A methane lake on TitanTitan (moon)
Titan , or Saturn VI, is the largest moon of Saturn, the only natural satellite known to have a dense atmosphere, and the only object other than Earth for which clear evidence of stable bodies of surface liquid has been found....
, the largest moon of Saturn
Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturn, equated to the Greek Cronus , the Babylonian Ninurta and the Hindu Shani. Saturn's astronomical symbol represents the Roman god's sickle.Saturn,...
, has been named 'Sparrow Lacus', after Sparrow Lake.http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/jsp/FeatureTypesData2.jsp?systemID=6&bodyID=30&typeID=19&system=Saturn&body=Titan&type=Lacus&sort=AName&show=Fname&show=Lat&show=Long&show=Diam&show=Stat&show=Orig