I had heard tales of huge fish in Monster Lake for quite some time and finally decided to check things out myself. The tales that I heard about the lake seemed to have underlying mystery to them and were delivered with hush hush tones and darting eyes. After a bumpy ride on an overgrown logging road through dense second growth timber, the lake of legend finally stood before me.

The lake was only medium in size with large lily pads covering much of the shoreline and reaching well into the lake in some areas. It was likely that I could paddle the lake end to end in 15-20 minutes with my kayak. After unloading my gear and loading it into the kayak, I began paddling towards a promising patch of lily pads near the center of the lake.

Just as soon as I began to paddle, a hush came over the lake. Birds, frogs and even insects became suddenly, totally quiet. As I neared the patch of lily pads, large ripples began to appear as if made by a small submarine and bubbles being emitted from beneath the surface marked the track of something monstrous heading my way.

I did not attempt to engage my fishing gear, since the size of this creature would easily overpower it. I even began to wonder if the creature considered both me and my kayak as bait. The ripples then began to circle my kayak in tighter and tighter circles, like the creature was sizing me up. The murky water would not allow me to see with clarity the monster below me, but bubbles and ripples continued to announce its location. Lily pads parted in a wide swath and small, fearful fish began to leap out of the water in front of it. Four geese that had been peacefully paddling nearby, instantly all disappeared at once in a mighty swirl.

With all the speed I could muster, I paddled towards land. Quick glances behind me showed a large wake heading my way. Sweating and with heart pumping, I just managed to beat the creature to shore. My car was loaded in a rush, probably leaving a few things behind in my haste to depart. I even raced through the woods to put distance between me and the lake as quickly as possible.

I have no plans to return to Monster Lake, even with a bigger fishing pole. I will let the monster of monster lake enjoy peace and quiet, at least until the next adventurer enters his domain.

If you happen to go to the lake and see a vacant campsite or abandoned automobile, perhaps the monster living there had something to do with it?

Roger Urbaniak of Mercer Island is a longtime contributor to Northwest Prime Time. His website, http://www.RogersOutdoorChannel.org, encourages others to explore outdoor activities through articles, resources and more. ***His message to readers: “Please check out the narrated version of this story on rogersoutdoorchannel.org Campfire Tales. Subscribe and hopefully also hit like to be able to preview other campfire tales…then tell your friends!“