CALIFORNIA LAKE MONSTERS

You don't have to go to Loch Ness to look for monsters if you live in California.  The two lakes mentioned below have a reputation for housing them.

Lake Elizabeth: A huge monster with wings like a bat's and possibly underwater flippers was reported in this lake in the 19th Century.  In 1993 a rancher reported seeing a huge flying monster at night.  Another witness claimed to have seen a monster the size of four elephants with a head resembling a bulldog's and six legs.  He or possibly another witness, armed with a gun, opened fire on the creature, but most of the bullets flattened against it.  One actually ricocheted off it and struck the gunman.

Lake Elizabeth

Lake Elsinore: A monster has been reported in this lake since 1884.  However, the lake dried up twice in the 20th Century and no monster was revealed.  Despite this, sightings have still been reported.  Thus Bonnie Prey claimed to have seen a monster there twice in 1970.  She claimed it was 12' long and black.  A suggestion that it is a catfish has been proferred and should be considered seriously.  If some group of anglers dumped a wels catfish in the lake it could very well be mistaken for a monster.  
The monster is nicknamed Hamlet, as the hero of Shakespeare's play dwelt in Elsinore in Denmark.

Lake Elsinore