Encounter Atlas
Sharlie is the lake monster of Payette Lake, a deep mountain lake at McCall in central Idaho. The first settler report came in 1920, when workers cutting railroad ties saw what looked like a log start to move.
In August 1944 several groups described a 30 to 35 foot animal with a dinosaur-like head, humps like a camel and shell-like skin. In September 1946 about twenty people, including a doctor from Nampa, said they saw something 30 to 40 feet long diving repeatedly and leaving a wake like a small motorboat.
In 1954 the local newspaper ran a contest to name it, and the winning entry, 'Sharlie', came from a radio catchphrase, 'Vas you der, Sharlie?' Sightings were reported until at least 1997.
What witnesses report
- A moving 'log' on the water
- Camel-like humps
- A dinosaur-like head
- A boat-sized wake
Famous cases
- 1920Tie cutters see a 'log' start to move
McCall, Idaho - 1946About twenty people watch a 30 to 40 ft creature diving
McCall, Idaho - 1954Newspaper contest names the serpent Sharlie
McCall, Idaho
Seen the Sharlie?
Tell us what happened. Every report is read by a person before it goes on the map, and you can stay anonymous.
