Truth Or Tale: Hopatcong's 'Lakeness' Monster

HOPATCONG, NJ - Anyone who lives in the Garden State has heard rumors of haunted happenings and urban folklore close to home. In fact, there was an entire magazine, Weird NJ, devoted to them.

Patch is taking up the task of exploring these myths throughout October in the hopes compiling a master list comprised of the best of the unexplained throughout New Jersey. Today we are discussing the "monster" in Lake Hopatcong.

While nowhere near as popular as the Jersey Devil, the Westfield Watcher or the Hookerman in Long Valley, Hoppie is one of the lesser known tales. In the New Jesey section of an 1894 New York World newspaper (which was published from 1887 through 1931) the Lake Hopatcong sea Serpent was said to have the head of a St. Bernard dog and the body of a snake. Citings were ranged, but supposedly the creature could be found near the inlet to River Styx.

Over the decades the stories evolved, as large anaconda-like creatures were said to be slithering underneath the dark waves.

Six years ago there was the search for just such a creature by snake expert, Gerald Andrejcak who said he felt the slippery serpent slide through his legs as he tried to capture it. At the time, reports said the creature was anywhere between seven and 20 feet in length.

Reptiles Magazine reported that Andrejcak stopped his search for the snake after receiving a threatening phone call.

So what do you think readers? Buy it or boot it? Is the story of Hoppie real? Have you felt an unexplained slither when visiting the lake? Or perhaps you have another, even scarier tale of your own to share. Drop them in our comments or send them to russ.crespolini@patch.com

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