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The North American lake monsters are fairly typical of the type. Large snake like creatures.

"Champ" of Lake Champlain -

Lake Champlain is a large lake that defines much of the border between the State of Vermont and the State of New York. This lake is over a 150 kms long and at times 20 kms wide, thus offering excellent cover for such a monster.

The natives to the area tell stories of a giant serpent in the water.  The first written reports of the monster were made by the French explorer Samuel de Champlain (after which the lake is named) in 1609. Champlain wrote that he observed a twenty foot snake-like creature, with the head of a horse, in the water.

In the 19th century P.T. Barnum posted a $50,000 reward for Champ's carcass, but nobody ever collected.

Like the Loch Ness monster, Champ has been seen on land, but it's more common to see the creature in the lake. The usaual sighting is of humps, like Nessie, and a long serpentine neck with a horse like head.  Reports have been made of animals being up to 15m long. 

There have been videos, photos and numerous eye witness reports of large animals in the lake. 

This is the best photo taken of Champ so far. It was by Sandra Mansi in the late 70's using a Kodak Instamatic.  The picture is of a long necked creature emerging from the water, with the opposite shore in the back ground. While the photo appears to be authentic the negative has been lost limiting the amount of analysis that can be done.

There have been occasional sightings of two or more animals together, including a juvenile. Two women who were wading alongside the shore in the lake and a small 'Champ' swam between them.  Their descriptions and drawings appear to be of a pleisosaur like animal, and not a snake like primitive whale.  This sighting suggest an active breeding colony in the lake.

No scientific investigation of the sightings has ever been done, despite all the publicity about the monster. One town along the lake, Port Henry, has taken steps to protect the creature, should it exist, with an ordinance.

"Ogopogo" of Okanagan Lake

This lake is very much like Loch Ness. Cold and deep (300m), over 100 km long and 4 km wide. Stories of Ogopogo go back to before Europeans settled this section of British Columbia, Canada. The Native Americans called it "Natiaka" meaning "The Lake Monster." Strangely, the current name comes form a song parody written in 1926.

Modern reports of the monster escalated in the 1920's. In November 1926, 50 to 60 people saw the monster after they'd come to the lake edge for a baptism ceremony.

In addition to scores of reports, there have been alleged photos of the monster, but most of them have been of poor quality.

No scientific investigation of the monster has been made. 

"Manipogo" of Lake Manitoba - The name here is a derivative of the better known "Ogopogo" in Okanagan Lake. "Ogopogo" is described as having a long tubular body of at least a foot in diameter.

There have been reports by early Native American sightings and later by settlers.

In 1962 two men in a boat got a picture. Looking like a snake in the water the picture isn't clear enough to prove the existence of the monster. The appearance does match up with other eye-witness reports of the creature.

Professor James A. McLeod of Manitoba University investigated the in the 1960's. He searched for the creature by trying to locate it's remains. His rationale was this: If there is a breeding population in the lake they should be leaving carcasses and bones when they die. Despite his efforts he found none.

Flathead Lake, Montana

White River in Arkansas. Some believe the Arkansas sighting was a lost elephant seal.) A monster reported in the late 1800's

The Silver Lake Hoax.  The monster in Silver Lake, New York, turned out to be a hoax perpetrated by a local hotel owner who profited from the tourists who came to see the monster.

It was the evening of July 13th, 1855, when six fishermen in a boat on Silver Lake, in northwestern New York State, spotted something strange in the water. At first they thought it was a log, but then realized they were seeing a "most horrid and repulsive-looking monster." According to the group the creature started thrashing about and they feared the waves it made would swamp the boat.

The creature continued to make appearances throughout that year and the following summer. It brought monster hunters to that remote area in droves. Most of them stayed at the Walker House, the only hotel near the lake.

The nature of the creature remained a mystery until 1857 when a fire struck the hotel. In the ashes of the building was found the remains of the creature. The Walker House's owner and a friend had cobbled the monster together from canvas and wire, then towed it, via ropes, about the lake in an attempt to drum up business for the hotel.