Minnesota River Monster Tale

I guess the moral to this story is that corncob wine and river monsters don't mix.

In any case, it doesn't sound like anything reptilian. Actually, except for the size, it sounds like one of the lampreys, though the native species in the Red River barely reach a foot in length, if that. But then, the corncob wine might have incited a little exaggeration...

Maple Champ Candy

A special version of old-fashioned maple candy that features the likeness of "Champ" is being made in honor of the 400th anniversary of the first European exploration of Lake Champlain. (News source.)

China's Top 5

People's Daily has a top 5 Chinese lake monsters list.

Okanagan Lake Sighting

Noted on the BCSCC list: a large snake-like creature was reported by several witnesses on Okanagan Lake. (News source.)

Apparently, It's Art

Lake monster creations.

Kanas Lake Sighting

China's Kanas Lake "monster" was sighted a few days ago "by over 10 tourists" for about twenty minutes. (News source.)

Lake Van Monster Movie

A Turkish folk singer is shooting a movie about a three shepherds who create a fake monster in Lake Van. (News source.)

Lake Champlain Sighting Allegations

It's a rather poor video, but a "strange animal" has been reported from Lake Champlain.

More on Cyprus Creature

The "crocodile" rumored to have spotted in the waters below the Kouris Dam has transformed (in the media) to some kind of lake monster or big serpent. (News source.)

Mystery Lake Critter (Though Not For Long)

Reports that a Connecticut woman and photographed a strange creature in a reservoir were quickly followed by people pointing out it was a turtle... (Slide show at second url)

Swedes Film "Sea Monster"

A film crew has supposedly filmed "Sweden’s legendary Great Lake Sea Monster (Storsjöodjuret), which is said to lurk in the waters of the Storsjön outside Östersund in northern Sweden." (News source with blurry image.) It sounds as if this is one of MonsterQuest's episodes -- "The effort to find the monster has generated a great deal of interest, with the American television network NBC planning to document the hunt." NBC owns part of the History Channel, which of course shows MQ.

Ogopogo Sighting (?)

A B.C. woman saw a wave: (News source.)

"Don't tell Robyn Holman that Ogopogo doesn't exist.
"The mystical lake monster made an appearance for the Kelowna resident as she was traveling along the highway near Peachland Sunday afternoon.
"Holman says she saw a wave in the water with no boats around it and something bobbing amongst the waves."

Her photos are being developed.

Lake Monsters, Water Hazards...

An article here on the Lake Norman monster...

And a California golf course pond may have a small crocodilian in it. (News source.)

Name the Lake Monster

This must be the season for cryptozoological contests. Details here for entering a name for the Lake Merritt monster.

Old Account of Lake Monster

The Nevada Appeal has an interesting note published 120 years ago:

"For some years past there has been a tradition among the Indians that there was some strange reptile in Washoe Lake, and none of them will ever fish there. A few nights ago several people fishing heard a bestial croak in the tulles which was much too loud for a frog and Deputy State Controller Holbrook said it sounded exactly like an alligator. Schneider, the baker, vows that he has seen a monster at least 18 feet in length."

Lake Pepin

The Lake City (MN) Tourism Board is offering a $50,000 reward for "undisputable photographic and scientific evidence" of their local lake monster, from Lake Pepin. Of course, they don't want DNA evidence, as they don't want to "hurt" the creature, whatever it is. Just what we need, more stupid publicity ploys exploiting cryptozoology for tourism dollars. (News source.)

Korean Scientist on the 'Tianchi monster'

A North Korea scientist has suggested that the images of the 'Tianchi monster' captured by a Chinese photographer are large trout, the offspring of fish introduced into the lake by North Koreans 40 years ago. From the news:

"77-year-old Kim Li-tae said during an interview with the Choson Shinbo, a newspaper published by the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, that he was one of the North Korean researchers who released nine trout into Tianchi Lake, located on Changbai Mountain, on July 30, 1960. At a later date they released other species of fish such as carp and mosquito fish into the lake." ...
"In 2000, the Korean researchers did experimental tests on 'Tianchi trout' found in shoal waters that measured 85 centimeters in length and weighed 7.7 kilos, but they've never been able to test trout from the deeper waters of Tianchi Lake. The 'Tianchi monster' that Chinese photographer Zhuo Yongsheng, who works for a local TV station run by the administration office of the nature reserve at Mount Changbaishan, Jilin Province captured on film last month, might be a 'Tianchi trout' from the deep of the lake, Kim said."

Flathead Lake Monster Sightings

After publishing an article on a retired biologist collecting Flathead Lake monster sightings, the journalist received a few more interesting stories.

'Tianchi Monster'

A Chinese television reporter believes he filmed six "lake monsters" in Lake Tianchi, near the China/North Korea border:

"Zhuo Yongsheng, who works for a local TV station run by the administration office of the nature reserve at Mount Changbaishan, Jilin, has sent pictures of the Loch Ness-type creatures to Xinhua's Jilin provincial bureau.
"One of them showed the creatures swimming in three pairs, in parallel. Another showed them together, leaving ripples on the surface of the deep, volcanic lake." ...

He had originally gone to the mountainside to shoot the sunrise. At 5:26 am, a guide started yelling and pointing toward the water.

"He focused his lens on the black moving object in the center of the lake and five other forms emerged from the deep water.
"Zhuo said he witnessed the six seal-like, finned creatures swimming and frolicking in the lake for an hour and a half, before they ducked out of sight at 7:00 AM.
"'They could swim as fast as yachts and at times they would disappear under the water. It was impressive to see them all swimming at exactly the same pace, as if someone was giving orders,' he said. 'Their fins - or maybe wings - were longer than their bodies.'"

Rumors have circulated previously, but: "Scientists, however, have dismissed the rumors saying the lake was too cold for large creatures." (News source.)

Does Champ Exist?

The published transcript of this historic 1981 conference in Shelburne, Vermont, is now available. Gary Mangiacopra and Dwight Smith have edited the transcript, created from audio tapes of the conference, with the cooperation of the speakers. Included along with the transcript is a chronology of Champ sightings, notes on the limnology of Lake Champlain, and some reprints of historical newspaper accounts involving Champ-related phenomena. More details at CoachwhipBooks.

Vancouver Island Lake Monster?

A news story notes several "strange stories" in regard to Cameron Lake on Vancouver Island. Most recently:

"Bridgette Horvath ... says she saw something very odd in the water when driving by the swimming area recently," ...
"Horvath said she was driving past the lake with a friend on the afternoon of July 30 when she noticed a strange wake in the water. There was no boat making the wake, which she said appeared to be made by something large under the water.
"She pulled her vehicle over and got out to look.
"In all, she said, there appeared to be three objects or creatures in the water.
"'They were going in a circle, like when whales school up fish,' she said.
"Horvath is mystified, but, says Cameron Lake resort owner Louis Verheyen, this was not the first sighting of something strange in Cameron Lake." ...
"'A couple of weeks ago someone said they saw something that looked like a row of car tires or something. Another time, a guy was fishing and he said he saw something really big on his depth sounder. It scared him and he left.'"

Chinese Lake Monster

From the Telegraph:

"A rare video, filmed by a tourist in remote Western China, has captured what appears to be several huge creatures swimming across Lake Kanasi." ...
"Two years ago, two 10 metre-long black creatures were spotted on the surface of the lake, swimming from the shore to the centre - but this is the first sighting since that time.
"Chinese Central Television did not attempt to identify the animals seen in the video, simply saying: 'This time a large number of unidentified creatures emerged, bringing more mystery to Lake Kanasi.'"

1 Million Pounds for Nessie

Bookmaker William Hill (gambling bookmaker that is) has put up a Nessie Reward of 1 Million Pounds to anyone who can provide conclusive proof of Nessie's existence.

As part of the June 9-10th ROCK NESS festival at Loch Ness, attendees will will have the opportunity to obtain cameras and the chance for some Nessie hunting.

The rules are simple:

All evidence must be collected over the weekend of June 9-10, 2007 and submitted to William Hill by Noon of June 18th, 2007.