Tahoe Tessie

Tahoe Tessie is a large aquatic cryptid reported in Lake Tahoe, the famous alpine lake straddling California and Nevada. Despite the lake’s crystal-clear waters, something large and mysterious has been reported lurking beneath the surface.

Indigenous Tradition

The Washoe people, who have lived near Lake Tahoe for thousands of years, have traditional stories about water serpents and monsters in the lake. They reportedly avoided certain deep areas out of respect and fear.

Description

Witnesses describe a creature between 10 and 80 feet long, serpentine in shape, with a dark gray or black coloration. It swims at great speed, sometimes creating wakes visible from shore. Occasional humps are seen above the surface.

Notable Sightings

In 1984, two off-duty officers fishing on the lake reported seeing a large creature surface near their boat. In 2006, a fisherman recorded video of something large moving beneath the surface that has not been explained.

The Lake

Lake Tahoe reaches depths of 1,645 feet, making it the second deepest lake in the United States. Despite its clarity, the deep waters remain unexplored. The cold temperatures could preserve a large creature, and there are plentiful fish to support it.

Assessment

Like other lake monsters, Tahoe Tessie may be a misidentified sturgeon, an unusual wave pattern, or something genuinely unknown. The Washoe traditions and continued modern sightings keep the mystery alive.