The Flathead Lake Monster
One of the biggest lakes in the American West has more than a century of reports of a large, dark creature in the water.
What was reported
Flathead Lake, in north-western Montana, is one of the largest natural freshwater lakes in the western United States. The first widely cited sighting came in 1889, when the captain of a steamboat said passengers saw a large, whale-like animal.
Since then people have reported a dark, eel- or serpent-like creature, sometimes said to be many metres long, swimming at the surface. Local people keep a record of the sightings.
Explanations offered
The lake holds large fish, including lake trout, which some think explain the reports. Logs, wakes and waves on a big lake are easily misread too. No firm evidence of an unknown animal has been found.
- When
- Reported since 1889
- Where
- Flathead Lake, Montana, USA
- Witnesses
- Boaters and people on the shore
- Status
- Unconfirmed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.