The list of lake and river monsters attested in worldwide folklore.
| Body of water | Area | Nation | Continent | Name(s) | Description | First and last reported sightings | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alkali Lake | North America | Alkali Lake Monster | 40-foot-long (12 m) alligator-like creature with rough, grayish-brown skin and a horn-like appendage located between its eyes and nostrils. | |||||
| Altamaha River | North America | Altamaha-ha | 30-foot (9 m) long with a snake-like head and flippers like a seal[1] | |||||
| Memaloose Lake | North America | Amhuluk | Serpentine with horns[2] | Kalapuya Legend | ||||
| Fulk Lake | North America | Beast of 'Busco, Oscar the Turtle | Giant Snapping Turtle | 1898–1948 | ||||
| Lake Erie | North America | Bessie, South Bay Bessie | Snake-like and 30 to 40 ft (9-12 m) long, at least a foot (30 cm) in diameter, with a grayish color.[3] | |||||
| Black River | North America | Black River Monster | Dark-colored serpentine body with flippers and large bulging eyes | 1951– | ||||
| Lake Dillon | North America | Blue Dilly | Manta ray like creature | |||||
| Bozho | Serpentine creature, sometimes taken for a log until it moves. | circa 1860–???? | Said to play 'pranks' such as chasing boats and tickling bathers' feet.[4] Namesake of local arts & culture news website.[5] | |||||
| Brosno Lake | Europe | Brosno Dragon, Brosnya | September 2021. | |||||
| Lake Khaiyr | Asia | Lake Khaiyr Monster | ||||||
| Labynkyr Lake | Asia | Labynkyr Devil or Labynkyrsky Chert | Various descriptions - possibly 26 feet (7.9 m) long | |||||
| Various swamps, billabongs, creeks, riverbeds and waterholes across Australia | Australia | Bunyip | Variously described as having a round head, an elongated neck, and a body resembling that of an ox, hippopotamus, or manatee.[6] | Part of traditional Aboriginal beliefs and stories throughout Australia | ||||
| Lake Champlain | North America | Champ | A reptilian creature with slimy gray skin, 20 to 40 feet (6 to 12 m) in length, with a long neck, a horselike head, and four flippers. | |||||
| North America | Charles Mill Lake Monster | Armless Reptilian with luminous green skin and glowing green eyes | 1959–1963 | |||||
| Chesapeake Bay | North America | Chessie | Dark-colored snakelike body with flippers. | |||||
| Crescent Lake | North America | Cressie | Eel-Like Lake Monster[7] | 1950s–present | ||||
| Devil's Lake | North America | Devil's Lake Monster | Fresh Water Octopus[8] | |||||
| Lake Tota | South America | Diablo Ballena (Devil Whale), Monster of Lake Tota | A huge black fish, bigger than a whale, with the head of a bull.[9] | 1652– | ||||
| Lake Elsinore | North America | Elsie, Hamlet, Lake Elsinore Monster | Cross between a plesiosaur and a sea serpent[10] | 1884–1994 | ||||
| Flathead Lake | North America | Flossie,[11] Flathead Lake Monster, | Either a 20 to 40 feet (6 to 12 m) long eel-like creature; round, brown to blue-black in color and possesses steel-black eyes and undulating hips or a large-sized fish from 6 to 10 feet (2 to 3 m) in length. | |||||
| Lake Ontario | North America | Gaasyendietha | Dragon that dwells in rivers and lakes of Canada, especially Lake Ontario. This dragon flies on a trail of fire, and can also spew fire. | Seneca Legend | ||||
| Lake ThunderbirdLake Oolagah | North America | The Giant Freshwater Octopus | A 20-foot long (6 m) giant octopus, reddish-brown with leathery skin[12] | Thought to be responsible for Oklahoma lake drownings | ||||
| Gryttjen | Europe | Gryttie | Long, serpentine, and potentially horned.[13] | 1980s– | ||||
| Herrington Lake | North America | Harry, Eel-Pig | Roughly 15 ft (4.6 m) long with a body like that of an eel and a skin tone/pattern reminiscent of a speckled fish. It is said to be as fast as a boat at times, and also possess a stubby pig-like snout and a somewhat curly tail.[14] | 1925-1972 | ||||
| Hawkesbury River | Australia | Hawkesbury River Monster, Moolyewonk, Mirreeular | 25 to 30-foot (7.6 to 9 m) grayish-black plesiosaur with a snake-like head.[15] | |||||
| Lake Hodges | North America | Hodgee | Plesiosaurs or Loch Ness Monster-like creature[16] | |||||
| Devil's Lake | North America | Hokuwa | A long neck and small head, plesiosaur-like.[17] | |||||
| Lake Simcoe | North America | Igopogo, Kempenfelt Kelly | Seal-like animal. Length, 12–70 feet (3.6-21 m). Charcoal-gray color. Dog- or horse-like face. Prominent eyes. Gaping mouth. Neck is like a stovepipe. Several dorsal fins. Fishlike tail.[18] | Also known as Kempenfelt Kelly. | ||||
| Iliamna Lake | North America | Illie, Iliamna Lake Monsters | Monstrous fish with blunt heads used to smash through boat bottoms. Said to resemble a barracuda, silvery in color with black stripes. | First reported by the Aleut people | ||||
| Lake Edward | North Kivu | , | Africa | Irizima | Gigantic hippopotamus with the horns of a rhinoceros upon its head, or a marsh monster with a hippo's legs, an elephant' trunk, a lizard's head, and an aardvark's tail. | |||
| Bear Lake | North America | Isabella, Bear Lake Monster | Head variously described as being similar to that of a cow, otter, crocodile, or a walrus (minus the tusks). Its size was reported to be at least fifty feet (15 m) long, and light cream in color.[19] | The creature can supposedly crawl onto the shore. | ||||
| Lake Ikeda | Asia | Issie | A huge saurian creature with black humps.[20] | 1978 | ||||
| Lake Ontario | North America | Kingstie | The descriptions over the years have been inconsistent, with color ranging from blue to brown, a large head or no head at all, bristled or bald, teeth like an alligator or toothless.[21] | |||||
| Hudson River | North America | Sea Serpent, shark, or manatee[22] | ||||||
| Lake Kussharo | Asia | Kusshii | 30 to 60 ft (9-18 m) long with humps on its back, a long neck and a pair of horns on its head.[23] | |||||
| Lagarfljót | Europe | Lagarfljót Worm | Sometimes said to resemble large islands, but at other times to rise out of the water in arches, spanning hundreds of fathoms. People were unsure what sort of monster this was because neither its head nor tail was visible from Skálholtsannáll.[24] | 1345[25] -Present | ||||
| Lake Leelanau | North America | Lake Leelanau Monster | A log with eyes[26] | 1910 | ||||
| Lake Tianchi | Jilin, Ryanggang | Asia | Lake Tianchi Monster | A large turtle-like animal, or a long black creature, some 20–30 meters long with a small head shaped like that of a horse.[27] | Lake Tianchi is also known as Lake Chonji, and is partly located in North Korea. | |||
| Lake Van | Van, Bitlis | Asia | Lake Van Monster | Said to resemble ancient marine reptiles such as a plesiosaur. | ||||
| Lake Worth | North America | Lake Worth Monster | Fishy man-goat, humanoid torso with goat legs, covered in white fur and scales[28] | 1969 | ||||
| Lake Como | Europe | Lariosauro, Larry | Nothosaur[29] | 1949–1957 | ||||
| Lake Victoria | Africa | Lukwata | 20–30 feet (6-9 m) long, with dark smooth skin and a rounded head[30] | |||||
| Lake Manitoba, Lake Winnipegosis | North America | Manipogo, Winnipogo | A long muddy-brown body with humps that show above the water, and a sheep-like head. | 1908–1962 | Manipogo also known as the Winnipogo as the Lake Monster is reported to live in Lake Manitoba which is connected to Lake Winnipegosis, Canada. The creature was dubbed Manipogo in 1957, the name echoing British Columbia's Ogopogo. | |||
| Gudgerama Creek | Australia | Mannie, Maningrida monster | 60 feet (18 m) long, dark, scaly, and three-headed.[31] | 1972 | ||||
| Lake Memphrémagog | North America | Memphré | Plesiosaurs or Loch Ness Monster-like creature[32] | Lake Memphrémagog lies partly in the USA. | ||||
| Lake Manitou | North America | Meshekenabek | Thirty feet (9 m) long, dark in color, possesses a long neck with a horse-like head.[33] | |||||
| Missouri River | North America | Mi-ni-wa-tu | An amphibious creature with a body like that of a buffalo, covered with red hair. It has a single horn in its forehead, and a single eye. Its back is notched like a saw or gear.[34] | From Lakota peoples' mythology | ||||
| Lake Superior | North America | Mishipeshu | Has the head and claws of a panther, but with scales and spines. | |||||
| Congo River Basin | Africa | Mokele-mbembe | Apatosaurus-like creature[35] | |||||
| Elizabeth Lake | North America | The Monster of Elizabeth Lake | Bat wings, the neck of a giraffe, the head of a bulldog, six legs, a length of at least fifty feet (15 m), and emit a horrible nauseating stench.[36] | 1830–1886 | ||||
| Loch Morar | Europe | Morag | 20-ft (6 m) serpent-like creature.[37] | |||||
| Lakes of Killarney | Europe | Muckie | 27-ft (8.2 m) snake-like creature[38] | 2003 | ||||
| Loch Maree | Europe | Muc-sheilch | Physically identical to Nessie | |||||
| Lake Temiskaming | North America | Mugwump | Approximately 20 ft (6 m) long, a black, glistening head with protruding eyeballs | |||||
| Lake Alexandrina | Australia | Muldjewangk | Sometimes portrayed as evil merfolk (half man half fish), or times as a gargantuan monster. It is also inconsistent whether there are many of the creatures, or a single "The Muldjewangk".[39] | |||||
| Muskrat Lake | North America | Mussie | Variously described as a walrus, a sturgeon, or as a three-eyed Loch Ness Monster-like creature[40] | |||||
| Lake Nahuel Huapi | and Province | South America | Nahuelito | Plesiosaurs or Loch Ness Monster-like creature. | ||||
| Loch Ness | Europe | Nessie | Plesiosaurs-like | |||||
| Lake Norman | North America | Normie, Lake Norman Monster | Long and serpentine with scaly fins and flippers, a dog-like head, and red eyes. | 1967– | ||||
| Great Salt Lake | North America | North Shore Monster, Great Brine Shrimp, Old Briney | Monster crocodilian or monstrous shrimp-like crustacean | 1840– | ||||
| Bangweulu Swamp | Africa | Nsanga | Crocodile-like animal with smooth skin and hooked claws.[41] | |||||
| Lake Kariba | Africa | Nyami Nyami | Dragon-like creature with a snake's torso and the head of a fish. | Season 4 episode 3 of River Monsters reveals that Nyaminyami was inspired by the Vundu Catfish, southern Africa's largest fish. | ||||
| East Okoboji Lake | North America | Obojoki | A large dark greenish-brown animal with a head the size of a bowling ball.[42] | 1903–2001 | ||||
| Onondaga Lake | North America | Oggie | Giant salamander | |||||
| Okanagan Lake | North America | Ogopogo | Green in color, three humps in the water and a horse-like bearded head. | 1926–2011 | ||||
| Finger Lakes | North America | Old Greeny | Green Eel-like serpent | |||||
| Turtle Lake | North America | Turtle Lake Monster | Large ancient looking fish-like creature similar to a River Sturgeon; could in fact be trapped River Sturgeon. There might be up to three of them. | 1923–Present | ||||
| Lake Utopia | North America | Old Ned | Approximately 20 feet (6 m) in length, having a large head, being reddish-brown or dark red in color, Eel-like[43] | 1867–present | ||||
| Great Slave Lake | North America | Ol' Slavey | ||||||
| Lake Pend Oreille | North America | Pend Oreille Paddler | Plesiosaurs or Loch Ness Monster-like creature[44] | 1940s–1996 | ||||
| Lake Pepin | North America | Pepie | Large Serpent Like Creature[45] | |||||
| Asia | Phaya Naga | Serpent-like creature | Ancient times–present | Scientists and researchers at the Faculty of Science of Chulalongkorn University have attributed these seemingly preternatural phenomena to standing waves in water, and posit that the existence of Phaya Nak is similar to belief in Loch Ness Monster in Scotland or Ogopogo in Canada.[46] | ||||
| Pocomoonshine Lake | North America | Poco | 30–60-foot-long (9-18 m) snake[47] [48] | |||||
| Lake Pohenegamook | North America | Ponik | Dark Serpentine body and a horse-like head with catfish-like whiskers | 1874–present | ||||
| Lake Superior | North America | Pressie | Dark serpentine body with a long neck, a whale-like tail, and whiskers. | |||||
| Seljordsvatnet | Europe | Seljordsormen, Selma | 30 to 45-foot (9 to 14 m) serpent-like creature, resembling a large anaconda; some reports even include several humps on its back. | 1750[49] - Present | ||||
| Tasik Chini | Asia | Seri Gumum | Legendary dragon-like creature mentioned in old folklore, and other literary works | |||||
| Payette Lake | North America | Sharlie, Slimy Slim, The Twilight Dragon | Serpent | |||||
| Lake Powell | North America | Skin Fin | Possesses a large dorsal fin like that of a shark, a body built like an elephant, the flat wide tail of a manatee, and a head and neck like a miniature brontosaurus. Its skin is described as being a dark oily black and smooth like that of an eel.[50] | |||||
| Lake De Smet | North America | Smetty | Head like a horse, a bony ridge down its back, and about 40 feet (12 m) long.[51] | |||||
| Storsjön | Europe | Storsjöodjuret | Humped back and a long neck and tail. It has grayish-brown skin with a yellow underbelly, a dog-like head, and a body anywhere between 10 and 42 feet (3-13 m) in length.[52] | 1635– | ||||
| Lake Tahoe | North America | Tahoe Tessie | Large, serpent-like creature.[53] | |||||
| Rivers, Lakes, and Caves throughout New Zealand[54] | Australia | Taniwha | Resembles a shark, dragon, or whale, or a shapeshifter that can appear like any of those animals.[55] | Creatures from Māori folklore | ||||
| Bala Lake | Europe | Teggie | ||||||
| Thetis Lake | North America | Thetis Lake Monster | Creature with "silvery scaled skin, sharp claws, and spikes on its head. | 1972 | ||||
| Lake Lepel | Europe | Tsmok | Behemoths with the head of a deer or snake and the body of a seal.[56] | |||||
| Wallowa Lake | North America | Wally, Wallowa Lake Monster | A long, serpent-like creature, often compared in appearance to the Chinese Dragon, with multiple humps on its back which can be seen when the creature swims along the surface of the water, some accounts also include horns atop the beasts head.[57] | Originated in Nez Pearce Legend | ||||
| White River | North America | Whitey, White River Monster | A gray fish-like creature with a horn sticking out from its forehead sometimes described as having a spiny back twenty feet (6 m) long.[58] | This monster is said to have been responsible for overturning a Confederate munitions boat during the civil war. | ||||
| Arenal Lagoon[59] [60] | North America | Cow-headed, horned, and serpentine[61] | ||||||
| St. Johns River[62] | North America | St. Johns River Monster, Johnnie, Borinkus | Serpentine, with horns and a ridge on its back | |||||
| Sacramento River[63] | North America | Wetlash | Water elemental, that resembles an elf made completely of water | |||||
| Zegrze Reservoir[64] | Masovian Voivodeship |  Poland | Europe | Zegrze Reservoir Monster |