North American Lake Monsters
by Willie Shughart
More than a dozen lakes in North America have long been thought to be inhabited by Lake Monsters, the freshwater denizens of the deep made famous by Loch Ness. But these lake monsters are strikingly different from the creatures described in other parts of the world, while at the same time bearing great similarities to each other. Thus, this article is an overview of what will be here referred to as North American Lake Monsters, a fascinating group of cryptids scattered in large lakes all over the northern part of the continent.

These creatures are described as being anywhere from 10 to 80 feet (3-24 meters), though the usual range is 10-20 feet (3-6 meters), and measurements given which are greatly above that are probably significantly exaggerated.

As for appearance, North American Lake Monsters do not vary much, aside from a few exceptions (such as Igopogo and the Iliamna Lake Monsters). They are very elongate, frequently described as serpentine, and do not taper at the posterior end. They are almost always said to be entirely finless, and only a few sightings include whale-like tail flukes. Some sightings specify the lack of a tail. The body is usually shiny and smooth, infrequently described as being scaly, and it seems to range greatly in color, always dark, but from brown to greenish to gray or black, or even bluish in some cases.

The only other notable feature is the head, which is most often described as flattened, and horselike, or snakelike in appearance, and is very frequently kept raised above the surface of the water in sightings. The mouth is occasionally described as being grin-like. In some cases, there are ‘horns’ which protrude from the head, and occasionally a ‘mane’ surrounds the head.

These animals are obviously very secretive, and since the only evidence for their existence is hundreds of sightings and a few blurry films and photographic stills, little besides their appearance can be determined. These sightings, however, do make quite an interesting case for these animals’ existence. They range from ancient Native American myths to modern sightings by many credible witnesses, often many at once (one sighting of the famous Ogopogo involved thirty people on the shores of Okanagan Lake witnessing one of the creatures at once).

All of the classic refutations of sightings, of course, are potentially applicable in these cases, such as strange wave patterns and misidentifications of known species. Whether these strange North American lake monsters really exist is heavily debated, as with any cryptid. Without much evidence, we can only speculate wildly as to what they might be. The plesiosaur identity so often applied to the Loch Ness Monster is highly implausible even in the case of ‘Nessie,’ and even more so for the North American lake monsters, considering the immense differences in appearance. The Zeuglodont (an Eocene serpentine whale) theory is more widely accepted when it comes to North American lake monsters, but even this fails to explain such aspects of apparent lake monster anatomy such as the lack of fins, and the frequently raised head.

One thing that can be said for sure about North American lake monsters is that they are a mystery, at least for the time being.
Appendix: A List of North American Lake Monsters as Described in the Text
Name: Location.
Bessie, or South Bay Bessie: South Bay of Lake Erie, U.S.A. and Canada.
Champ: Lake Champlain, Vermont, U.S. and Quebec, CA.
Cressie: Crescent Lake, Newfoundland, CA.
Flathead Lake Monster: Flathead Lake, Montana, U.S.
Manipogo: Lake Manitoba, Manitoba, CA.
Memphre: Lake Memphremagog, Vermont, U.S. and Quebec, CA.
Ogopogo: Lake Okanagan, British Colombia, CA.
Red Horse Lake Monster: Red Horse Lake, Ontario, CA.
Tessie: Lake Tahoe, California, U.S.
Winnipogo: Lakes Winnipeg and Winnipegosis, Manitoba, CA.
Works Cited:

Coleman, Loren and Jerome Clark. 1999. Cryptozoology A-Z. Fireside, New York, New York.

“Cressie, the Monster of Crescent Lake.” http://www.nfcap.nf.ca/central/RobertsArm/attract/cressie.html.

The Shadowlands. “Sea Serpents and Lake Monsters.” http://www.theshadowlands.net/serpent.htm.