Stonelick Lake: I Get to See an Animal That I Have Never Seen in the Wild Before

5 April 2015

Lake #18    Stonelick Lake, Stonelick State Park, Clermont County

This was my fifth and last lake of the three day Easter weekend. Stonelick Lake is just 22 miles from Cincinnati, but it feels more remote. I only saw three other people while I was there. The 200-acre lake is located within the 1,058-acre Stonelick State Park. The park office is located at 2895 Lake Drive at Newtonville Road. The park has a 500-foot public sand swimming beach; 5 miles of nature trails; 18 miles of mountain biking trails, and camping facilities.

Stonelick Lake Swimming Beach

There are 108 electric campsites, 6 non-electric, and 1 deluxe camper cabin. The camp area is located on the eastern side of the lake and is typical for a small state park. When I was driving on Woodville Pike to go check out the campground, I passed a sign that said “Group Camping” which was placed in front of a cemetery (the turn off for the primitive group campsite is right past the cemetery). I so wish I had turned around and gone back and taken a photo of the sign with its background. Now every time my husband and I pass a cemetery, we say “Look, group camping.”  Yes, I agree, there is something wrong with us. If you visit the lake, I would love a photo so I can post it on the blog.

A dam was built across Stonelick Creek in 1950 to provide a wildlife area for sportsmen. The dam is located on the west side of the lake on Newtonville Road. In the early 1990s, the lake was dredged to restore the contamination levels of the lake from a waste water leak. The lake hasn't experienced any difficulties since then.

Stonelick Lake Dam

Stonelick Dam Newtonville Road

Stonelick Lake Spillway, Stonelick Creek

Stonelick Lake allows boats with electric motors only and has one boat ramp on the northwest corner of the lake off of Lair Road. As you can see, Stonelick Lake was experiencing high water levels like rest of southwest Ohio, which caused it to have very muddy water.

Stonelick Lake Boat Ramp

View From Boat Ramp Looking East

View From Boat Ramp Looking South

There are no facilities at the boat launch, but there are restrooms at the swimming beach and campgrounds. There is a convenience store located shouting distance from the boat launch parking lot.

Convenience Store on Lair Road, Walking Distance to Boat Ramp

After putting in, I headed south to go check out the dam from the water. Like many other small lake dams in Ohio, Stonelick Lake Dam has no warning buoys or roping to stop a boater from going over the spillway.

Turtles on the Way to the Dam

Stonelick Lake Dam

After checking out the dam, I headed northeast towards the swimming beach.

Northeast Towards Swimming Beach

Picnic Area Off of Lake Drive in the Distance

Stonelick Lake Swimming Beach

After checking out the swimming beach, I headed to the far southeastern corner of the lake to check out the finger where Stonelick Creek feeds into the lake.

Heading East Towards Camp Area

I am all about nooks, crannies, fingers, and arms, whatever you want to call the little places jutting off lakes. The small finger where Stonelick Creek feeds into the lake seemed much larger than what is indicated on the park map. Perhaps, it was much larger due to the heavy rainfall the region had been experiencing.

Heading Into Southeast Finger

Finger Seems Much Larger Than What is on the Map

  As I was exploring this area I had the special treat of seeing my first river otter in the wild. I have always loved watching the river otters at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, but seeing one in the wild was so much better. Ohio river otters were extirpated in the early 1900s. In 1986, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources started a 7-year project to reintroduce river otters to the state. Since then, river otters have been sighted in two-thirds of Ohio’s counties. It was just about dusk when I spotted the otter. I tried my best to get a photo, but the otter was too fast for me. He swam under my husband’s kayak and circled back around to enter his bank den. If someone had been video taping me trying to get a photo of the otter, it would be hilarious to watch.

The Brown Shape in the Middle is a River Otter, I Promise He Really is There

Stonelick Lake's baby duck is a sheep (in keeping with my Easter theme weekend); I ran out of Easter bunny ducks. In honor of the otter, I am naming him Tarka. Henry Williamson wrote a book called Tarka in 1927, the name means little water wanderer.

Stonelick Lake Baby Duck Tarka

After seeing the otter, I knew that was the highlight of the lake and a sign to call it a day. The joy and excitement I felt in seeing my very first river otter in the wild is the reason I am doing this BHAG. Happiness can't be planned. It must simply be experienced.

Heading West to Boat Ramp and the End of a Day Kayaking

May all your roads end in water,

Mama Duck Mona