That said, lake champlain is a big body of water (sometimes referred to as the “other great lake”) and it was once part of a larger prehistoric sea. Not expecting to bump into Champ on my kayak, but I wouldn’t count him out either.

I do think there is something in Champlain, but I doubt it is a dinosaur in any real sense of the word. Perhaps a new species of large sturgeon with diminished fins? A horse-headed eel? Snakehead? Whatever that video shows it seems to be a predator (shape of head, not afraid of larger object) and it is something that seems comfortable in shallow depths.

June 14, 1995 – My best friend (who wishes to remain anonymous because “people will think he is crazy”) and I were traveling up to Highgate, VT. We stopped off at the lake to take a break from the long drive. We started in NJ earlier that day. While I was looking at boats and scanning across the water with binoculars. Unfortunately at the time I only had a junk pair of binoculars and of course I had no camera to take a photo either. I happen to notice the creature pretty far out from the shore. I am guessing it was at least 2 football fields (maybe more) out from shore. I had to look for awhile before saying anything to make sure it wasn’t a rogue wave or row of beavers or ducks etc. I was not the only person who witnessed the event.

There was also at least 2 couples that were there too who also witness the sighting. I said something to my buddy. “Hey look at that. That isn’t no wave or row of beavers or birds. Check that out. Wow there it is. It’s Champ!” My friend was grabbing for my binoculars. Everyone started looking at what I was seeing. My friend confirmed it wasn’t a wave or beavers. He even said. “Wow I guess it is true. Champ is real. People aren’t making that sh*t up! Wow!!” Then he said Wow a few more times. In fact a female witness became so upset or unnerved she started to scream and then ran away as fast as she could from the shore.

My hair was standing on end. I had goose bumps.

The creature I saw in Lake Champlain looked like the Mansi photo and the subject in this video. The head was exactly same shape and color. The creature had a very long neck as well. I did not get the opportunity to see the creature’s entire body but it did show humps as it swam (very fast). It looked like a serpent or a water type dinosaur. I did not see flippers or anything like that. Only head, neck, back, and tail. At one point it did raise its head and partial neck out of the water completely. It made a wake like a boat would. I am guessing it was around 15-30 feet long. It is very hard to say because it was pretty far out and there were no boats around to compare it to. It definitely was bigger then any freshwater fish I have seen.

The sighting lasted for 2-3 minutes. Maybe more or maybe less. I didn’t sit there with a stop watch and time it. I was not prepared at all for it. I did get a very good look at it before I handed my binoculars to my friend. I consider myself lucky to have seen it.

Is it a musky, sturgeon, giant eel, giant lake trout, etc? Or is it a new cryptid? I don’t think we’ll need a body to find out eventually what is active in Lake Champlain. There seem to be a lot of videos popping up and a very active interest in the “monster” by many people, with a few pretty good videos being taken. Very interesting!

I am still trying to figure out what type of fish is on that old post card that Loren posts every so often. Man, that thing has got me stumped! This Champ thing is just as perplexing!

Springheeledjack–I really enjoy your posts. I can see the thought process that you go through in trying to figure these videos out. You have a great analytical mind! I am just not sure I would throw it in the “Champ” pile yet but I do not think this is any kind of hoaxed video at all. I am willing to throw it in the “Unknown” or “Needs More Video for Analysis” pile. Anyway, I definitely enjoy all of your posts and your thought processes! Keep up the great work!

There’s no doubt in my mind that this is real. I just wish we had more footage of this. From what we’re given, its unclear what it is. I again, strongly believe that this isn’t a fish or eel, but more like something that isn’t supposed to be in the lake.

@champ_is_real

Is there anything more you could use to describe the creature you saw? It sounds very interesting. And does it bear any resemblance to the Mansi photo? Personally I think this creature in the video looks a LOT like what she caught on photograph.

2) In the first still–thanks again to Craig W.!–the “neck” portion looks like its extending further back under the boat, implying to me that there’s a lot more to the creature. Whatever this thing is, its sizable. It doesn’t appear flat enough or wide enough to be a sturgeon.

And with the visible portions (and yes, I understand water distorts what we’re seeing, especially at the angle), what follows behind the “head” is smaller in proportion–certainly not fish like which are much more water dynamic in shape.

Again, not conclusive proof by any means, but the video and stills coupled with the testimony is good enough to be thrown into the Champ pile for me.

I am an avid fisherman. I have caught many large and small pike. Sorry, no the subject in the video is not a pike. It is not an American Eel either. Keep in mind. When looking at something underwater. In general, the water gives the optical illusion of whatever subject you are looking at is smaller then the subject really is. This illusion also seems to appear on pictures and video as well. Countless times I have seen fish underwater that don’t look so big but when you pull them out of the water they are a lot bigger then they appeared underwater. This video imo is giving off the optical illusion that subject is smaller then it really is.

Look at the subject next to the boat in the picture stills. My estimation is the subject would be the width between the boat deck and the rail. Taking account the distance and the illusion of underwater effect. If pulled aboard that boat the subject might barely slip between the deck and the rail to slip back into the water. Thus making it a whopper of a “Pike” or what I think it is, is an unidentified species living in the lake.

Look for something to come out soon on these Champ creatures. Sometime this year. You will see people like myself who believe these creatures do exist and are 100% real. Aren’t so crazy. Apparently National Geographic will be releasing something soon based on the echolocation findings in Lake Champlain.