Skip Loch Ness: Lake Champlain Has Its Very Own Sea Serpent (2024)

Lake Champlain runs 120 miles along and across the border of New York and Vermont and even stretches north to Quebec. Given its quite literal expansive reach, the lake is a popular destination in the Northeastern US and southern Canada. Visitors are spoiled by the lake's pristine freshwater beaches, a plethora of water sports activities, and even a shipwreck or two to explore.

However, one of Lake Champlain's (literal) biggest claims to fame is Champ, the lake's resident sea serpent/monster. Not unlike the famous Loch Ness Monster in Scotland, stories and sightings of Champ throughout history have both puzzled and awed. Does a sea serpent really live within the depths of this beloved freshwater lake? Or is he a thing of cryptozoology dreams? Can visitors see Champ? We took a deep dive (pun intended) to find out!

A Brief History Of Lake Champlain And "Champ"

While sightings of "Champ" as we know him today date to 1609, he was known by another name for centuries before

Champlain might be one of the cleanest lakes on the East Coast, but it harbors secrets.

Samuel de Champlain, French cartographer and the modern namesake of the lake, is said to have first laid eyes on Champ in 1609, but versions of Champ existed well before the French arrival. Native history explains that the lake was the chosen resting place of Odzihozo, a spiritual being borne out of the earth's creation.

From an aerial view, it is said that rock formations in Lake Champlain resemble the silhouette of a seated man; it is Odzihozo curling up to rest. This imbued a sense of spiritual importance into the lake, known as "Bitawbagok," or "the waters in between" in the Abenaki language. This lake has, for millennia, proved a powerful place for the native people.

Among the revered mystical qualities the lake held, the Abenaki described a giant snake-like creature that resembled a "horned serpent" that lived in its waters. Known as "Gitaskog," it is said that the earliest French colonists were warned by the Abenaki about this creature, and de Champlain would allegedly find out just how colossal the monster was.

As a cartographer, others found de Champlain's account to be viable, as he was unlikely to confuse foreign rock formations or fallen trees for a monster. No, he distinctly saw (allegedly), a 20-foot-long serpent with a horse-like head. By the early to mid-19th century, stories of the now-dubbed "Champ, the Lake Monster" reached far and wide.

Even the New York Times reported on Champ sightings in an 1873 account when railroad workers said that they had seen a long serpent with silver scales in the waters of Lake Champlain.

And sightings only increased over time. As centuries went by, and technology advanced, some lucky witnesses have even captured Champ on camera! Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, scores of people claimed to have photographs of Champ, and documentarians have visited time and time again in hopes of getting the serpent on camera.

In 2023, fishers even alleged that an unusually large sonar reading that popped up on their radar showed a serpent-like creature in the lake's depths. Perhaps it was one of the strange shipwrecks at the bottom of the lake? Or maybe it was a large sea serpent! As Champ's existence has been debated, dissected, and analyzed for years, it's clear that the beloved monster is as part of the lake's legacy and history as de Champlain's mapping of its geography.

How You Can See Champ

As a part of the lake's ecosystem in more ways than one, Champ-related activities are a unique draw to Lake Champlain

In the 1980s, Champ was officially recognized as a protected entity of the lake by the states of Vermont and New York as well as Port Henry, the "safe haven" watery inlet Champ can find respite in. Champ is a celebrated Lake Champlain celebrity, and he is a big part of the identity of the nearby community. So much so, that a variety of Champ-themed landmarks sprinkle the shores of Lake Champlain, and he pops up time and time again in mascot form throughout the region!

Take the Lake Champlain Ferry

Lake Champlain

A fixture of Lake Champlain as much as Champ is, the Lake Champlain ferries make routine trips across the lake from Vermont to New York and vice versa. Servicing Plattsburgh and Essex, NY and Grand Isle and Charlotte, VT, the ferry is an efficient and enjoyable way of getting around and seeing the beauty of Lake Champlain from the water.

Perhaps, if you're lucky, you may spot a glimpse of Champ while you're out there! Over 600 people have allegedly spotted Champ, and hopping on the ferry to pursue a sighting has been a favorite pastime of school children during the summer for decades.

See Champ With Your Own Eyes... At The Baseball Game!

If you're hoping for a guaranteed Champ sighting, then your best bet is to meet him at a ball game! The Vermont Lake Monsters, a local summer baseball team who, up until 2020, were part of the minor leagues, are another beloved fixture of the Lake Champlain community.

And, you guessed it, their mascot is none other than a particularly cutesy rendition of Champ, himself. While their logo shows off a more fearsome version of Champ, the Champ you'll see at the game is a perpetually smiling, goofy baseball fanatic.

The Vermont Lake Monsters play from May to August both at Centennial Field in Burlington, VT and at away games throughout the Northeast. Their biggest rival for the best cryptid mascot? The Norwich Sea Unicorns. Tickets are often reasonably priced under the $20 mark, so this is a great, inexpensive activity for the entire family, and the best spot in town to see Champ. If you only have 24 hours in Burlington, VT during the summer, make this one of your stops!

While Champ may not be "real" in the sense that there are definitive sightings, he's very real to Lake Champlain and its residents and history. He's a beloved community member and a fantastical entity that many folks in the region bond over, from baseball fans to school children.