Iliamna Lake Monster
Also known as: Illie
Something massive moves beneath Alaska's largest lake, and the locals know to stay clear.
Pre-colonial (Dena'ina oral tradition)
Iliamna Lake, Alaska, USA
10-30 ft long
Unknown, deep-dwelling
Unconfirmed
The Lore
Iliamna Lake in Alaska is the state's largest freshwater body, and for centuries the Dena'ina people have warned of large creatures in its waters. Modern pilots have reported seeing enormous dark shapes moving below the surface, estimated at 10-30 feet long. In 1979, the Anchorage Daily News offered a reward for proof. Proposed explanations include unusually large white sturgeon or sleeper sharks that may have entered through river systems.
Body Type
Folklore Origin
Notable Witnesses
- Multiple bush pilots
- Anchorage Daily News (reward offer, 1979)
Media Appearances
- River Monsters (TV)
Similar Real Animals
You might also like
Loch Ness Monster
LowThe legendary lake serpent of Scotland, photographed, sonar-scanned, and never found.
Ogopogo
LowCanada's answer to Nessie, coiling through the depths of Okanagan Lake.
Tahoe Tessie
LowA serpentine lake dweller hiding in the frigid depths of Lake Tahoe since Washoe legend.
Bear Lake Monster
LowA serpentine terror of Bear Lake, first reported by Mormon settlers and Shoshone alike.
Pukwudgie
MediumA small, troll-like trickster from Wampanoag legend that lures victims off cliffs.
Wendigo
HighA gaunt, insatiable spirit of the frozen north that was once human.
Champ
LowAmerica's own lake monster, surfacing in the waters between Vermont and New York.
Piasa Bird
HighA dragon-bird painted on Mississippi River bluffs by the Illini, feared as a man-eater.