Loch Ness, Scotland. Lake Van, Turkey.  Lake Hodges, California. Seljord Lake, Norway. All of these areas have had reported sightings of monsters. Well, North Carolina has its own alleged monster of the waterway called The Lake Norman Monster, or “Normie” to his close friends.

On a map, Lake Norman looks like a giant ink blot, and has some 520 miles of shore line, but is only 34 miles long and 50 square miles, holding some 32,000 acres of water (roughly 3 billion gallons).  It’s not surprising that a monster allegedly lurks here amidst all the lake’s nooks and crannies, whose fingers-like shoreline is filled with ostentatious-looking homes and thriving trees from the pine, oak, and willow family.   The monster, if it does exist, can hide in 130 feet of water in its deepest part (the south end at the Cowans Ford Dam which is less than 15 miles from downtown Charlotte). The average depth of Lake Norman is only around 30 feet.

Meeting Captain Gus

The day before getting on the boat, I had a chance to talk with a local boat captain named “Captain Gus”, who’s lived in this area since 1960 and guides lake cruises and fishing tours.

Captain Gus said that when people have claimed to see The Lake Norman Monster, what they may have seen in reality is a 4-foot female gar who’s spawning and being followed closely by 15-20 male gar (who’re three feet long), which Captain Gus calls “a Daisy chain”, giving off the impression of a long monster-type fish.

This gregarious fellow is very philosophical about this pre-occupation with the alleged monster in the lake, saying that if people talk openly about seeing UFO’s or lake monsters such as “Normie”, then others will think they’re crazy.  Yet creating a website about these subjects is considered more acceptable in the minds of people, which is why you’ll find a website dedicated to the Lake Norman monster here.

More theories behind the Lake Norman monster

Adding to the mystery is the fact that a species of mysterious freshwater jellyfish have been found in Lake Norman.  2.5 foot long salamanders known as “hell-benders” have been spotted, too, as well as decades-long reports of seeing human-sized catfish near the Cowans Ford Dam.  “Captain Gus” caught one weighing 52 pounds!  Eels and snakehead fish exist here, too. Could any of these strange creatures of Mother Nature be “Normie”?  Other sightings have included seeing long and serpent-like creatures with strange fins.  Some have claimed to see a monster on the shoreline.  Grass Carp were introduced into this lake several years ago to help rid nuisance plants, and given that carp can grow big, were people mistaking them for the sea monster?

Into the lake

It was a cloudy and blustery day as I ventured out into the southern part of Lake Norman on a large 67-foot vessel called Yachta Yachta Yachta in hopes of being able to say that I saw ol’ “Normie”.  The man captaining the boat told me he would have to think about my questions about “Normie”, but never did get back to me.

But lucky for me, another licensed boat captain named Troy Neil was on board serving as crew member. He’s a man who’s had well over 20 years of experience on boats, including six years working in the Caribbean on 40-110 foot yachts, where people asked him more about pirates than they did sea monsters.   He’s guided some of the rich and famous on the waters, though I swore to him I wouldn’t give out any names.  Sans openly proclaiming his former high profile clients, this seafarer gladly talks about his other sailing experiences. Yet Captain Neil has also got some great insights into human nature when it come to folks being fascinated by and looking for sea monsters, then reporting what one supposedly witnessed.

“It’s more urban legend”, Captain Neil quipped. “From past experience people exaggerate the size of fishes, even on the islands (like dolphins or rays).  The cause is human curiosity or wanting to be the person that’s discovered it, but [the process] gets misconstrued.”

Captain Neil said that he never saw one sea monster, even while sailing on the Puerto Rico Trench. He’s seen dolphins, whales, and whale sharks countless times.  Captain Neil went on to comment, as my eyes kept darting the bluish- green and rather calm waters of Lake Norman hoping to see “Normie”, that when something is emerged in water, its size is magnified by 25 per cent. Even the captain running the ship commented to Neil that he didn’t know that.

I didn’t see anything on my peaceful cruise which lasted around 90 minutes, not even one small fish, but that’s all right. Talking to such experienced men of the waters like Captain Gus and Captain Neil gave me more insights into this issue about monsters. On one hand, it’s fun to think that such ominous creatures exist in the hopes that one could be of the few to document the actuality of such legends. But on the other hand, when facts and established common sense are applied, getting to the actual truth is easier, and sometimes more interesting.

If you’re fascinated by tales of monsters like Bigfoot or “Normie”, pursue it like I did. You never know what insights your travels will lead you to, like learning more about the human condition!

Information on Lake Norman

Besides monster hunting, many other great outdoor activities are available in this area at the 1,300-plus acre Lake Norman State Park

Lake Norman, North Carolina Tourist Information:

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Biography: Roy A. Barnes lives in southeastern Wyoming and a past contributor to The Traveler.  He’s fascinated by the strange, the bizarre, and the unexpected, and is often deemed as such himself!