FIELD FILE · PRESSIELAKE & SEA MONSTERLOCAL LEGEND
Pressie
Also known as Lake Superior Monster, Lake Superior Sea Serpent
A serpent-like monster said to swim Lake Superior, named for sightings near the Presque Isle River in Michigan’s Porcupine Mountains.
Pressie is the nickname given to a reputed serpent or plesiosaur-like creature in Lake Superior, the largest and coldest of the Great Lakes. The name comes from the mouth of the Presque Isle River on Michigan’s western Upper Peninsula, inside Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, where several of the best-known reports are set.
Stories of strange animals in the big lakes go back well over a century – Lake Michigan and Lake Erie had their own “sea serpents” in 19th-century newspapers – and Lake Superior’s sailors and shore towns shared similar tales. Modern retellings describe a long-necked animal with a horse-like head, a humped back and a whale-like tail, sometimes said to chase boats. Some writers also link Pressie to Mishipeshu, the powerful underwater lynx of Ojibwe tradition, but Mishipeshu is a spiritual being with its own meaning and should not be treated simply as a lake monster.
Pressie’s modern fame dates to December 2007, when a Wisconsin man, Randy Braun, posted an account and photograph online describing what he saw in 1977 at Porcupine Mountains: a living thing with two humps and bright eyes, he said, within about 20 yards of him. The Capital Times in Madison reported the story, and it spread through Great Lakes media and cryptid websites. The photo is generally described as blurry and inconclusive.
Since then Pressie has become a fixture of Upper Peninsula and Duluth-area monster lore, alongside other Great Lakes legends. No physical evidence has ever been found, but the sheer size and depth of Lake Superior – up to about 1,330 feet deep – keeps the story alive.
- Status
- Local legend
- First reported
- 1977
- Best-known location
- Lake Superior, near the Presque Isle River, Michigan
- Also called
- Lake Superior Monster, Lake Superior Sea Serpent
What witnesses describe
Variously described as a long, dark green or black serpent with a horse-like head, whiskers or a mane, two or more humps showing above the water, and a whale-like tail. Some retellings claim lengths of 75 feet or more.
Where and when it’s seen
The open water and rocky shoreline of Lake Superior, especially off the Porcupine Mountains and the mouth of the Presque Isle River; reports also come from the Keweenaw, Point Iroquois near Sault Ste. Marie, and the Duluth area.
Notable sightings
- 1977Randy Braun’s encounter Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, Michigan
While visiting the park, Wisconsin resident Randy Braun said he came within about 20 yards of a creature with two humps and bright eyes in Lake Superior. He kept the story largely to himself for three decades.
- December 2007The story goes online Madison, Wisconsin
Braun posted his account and a photo online, and The Capital Times in Madison wrote about it. The report revived worldwide interest in a Lake Superior monster and popularized the name Pressie.
What could explain it?
- Lake sturgeon, which can exceed 6 feet and live for a century, are the most commonly suggested candidate for a large, ridged animal glimpsed at the surface.
- Floating logs, standing waves and boat wakes on Lake Superior’s cold, often choppy water can look like humps.
- Swimming deer, moose, otters or diving birds seen at a distance may be misjudged in size.
- Lake Superior is cold and nutrient-poor; it could not support a breeding population of large unknown animals without leaving bodies, bones or clear photos.
Legend, culture and tourism
Pressie appears in Upper Peninsula and Duluth-area folklore books, radio features and podcasts, and is a popular campfire tale for visitors to the Porcupine Mountains. Writers often group it with other Great Lakes monsters such as Lake Erie’s “Bessie.”
Places to visit
Waterfalls, old-growth forest and the river mouth on Lake Superior that gave Pressie its name.
Michigan’s largest state park, with miles of wild Lake Superior shoreline.
Where it’s reported
Michigan Minnesota Wisconsin Canada
Pressie in the news
No recent headlines about the Pressie. Our news desk checks every day — see all cryptid news.
Sources
First published · Updated
