LINDSAY SELBY: Lake Pepin monster

Lake Pepin is the largest lake on the Mississippi River, about two miles wide and 22 miles long with an average depth of 18 feet (5.5 m). It forms the natural border between Minnesota and Wisconsin. A creature nicknamed Pepie is said to live in its waters.

The story goes that the native Dakota people who lived in the area refused to travel on Lake Pepin in bark canoes because of the large 'creatures' that would rise from the depths of the Lake and puncture the thin bark skin. They would only travel on Lake Pepin in dugout canoes that were made by hollowing out a large log.

Then in April 1871 'a lake monster is seen swimming in Lake Pepin' (Minnesota Almanac, published by the MN Historical Society). Many people have reported sightings of an unidentified creature surfacing in the lake since then. There is even a reward for proof it exists.

Lake Pepin Sea Monster? 'Capture' It For $50,000

Reporting James Schugel


There's one creature in Minnesota that's so hard to track that $50,000 reward is out for proof it exists .Ever since the 1800s, residents around Lake Pepin in Lake City, Minn. say they've spotted a sea monster. They call him, Pepie.

"It was very strange," said Larry Nielson, who says he's seen the mysterious creature. "We watched it for quite a while and we watched it for about 15 minutes and could not figure out what it might be." Steve Raymond shares the same story. "Now, I'm the third person who's reported it. I distinctly remember three humps, with one hump looking like a head," recalled Raymond about his experience on Lake Pepin.

The first sighting of the creature was in April 1871. An artist has tried to show what the monster, with a hypnotic red-eye and demon-like head, might look like. It's said to live within the depths of Devil's Abys. "So you never know what you're going to see out here," said Nielson. "There have been stories of something mysterious here."

Boaters have told stories of being attacked while on the water, first hearing several loud knocks on the hull, followed by several violent back and forth swings of the boat.

Nielson wants people to try and see for themselves because this mysterious monster that's eluded most cameras for more than a century. He's offering $50,000 for undisputable photographic and scientific evidence. "The idea behind the reward is make sure you come up with a camera. You might catch Pepie, but the worst thing that's going to happen is that you're going to get pictures of some of the most beautiful scenery in the world," said Nielson. This reward is also a marketing tool for Lake City. The local tourism bureau hopes the chance to see Pepie and get money for it will bring people to the area. Whether anyone finds anything specific on Pepie is yet to be seen. Nielson and Raymond don't need more proof from the public, because they already agree that they've seen something strange in the lake.
Source: http://wcco.com/local/lake.pepin.monster.2.717605.html

So is it a marketing ploy or is there something in the lake?