With over 500 miles of shoreline, Lake Norman, just north of Charlotte, is the largest body of fresh water in North Carolina. Some parts of the lake are over 110 feet deep. It’s not surprising that such a vast amount of water holds a mystery.

For years, shocked visitors have reported seeing a “monster” in, or near, Lake Norman. As is often the case with such sightings, descriptions vary. However, it is frequently reported as a long, serpentile form with odd fins. Some claim to have seen the creature, dubbed “Normie,” on the shore, but he’s most often glimpsed breaking the murky surface of the water. Could folks simply be mistaking alligators or formations of fish and birds for the monster? Hellbenders, a type of salamander, are known to grow nearly 2.5 feet long. Their close relatives in Japan and China can grow to more than 5 feet long. Surely a giant hellbender could pass as a lake monster!

Lake Norman was made in 1967, and is now owned by the Duke Power Company, used for the McGuire nuclear plant. It is often joked that Normie could have mutated from nuclear energy. Loren Coleman, the world’s leading cryptozoologist, says many lake creatures are seen navigating land. Did Normie travel to the area from the coast, just 3-4 hours away?

On Saturday, April 12, the L.E.M.U.R. team made an expedition to Lake Norman, accompanied by North Carolina cryptozoologist Mike McCurry, and Brett Clark and Eric Scott of Phenomena Productions in Winston-Salem. We took out a pontoon boat and scoured as much of the water as possible.

It was a wonderful way to spend a beautiful day. However, we never witnessed anything out of the usual. Of course, if Normie was out there, it would literally have been easier to find a needle in a haystack. At least a needle doesn’t move around!

It was our first trip to seriously check out the mystery, and we plan to make more. If you have any information about sightings, please leave this information on our Discussion Board.

Our team will be holding a Free Paranormal Exhibit at the Best Western Lake Norman on Saturday, June 14, 2003. For more information, please visit: www.ParanormalExhibit.com .

For more information on Normie, visit this site: www.LakeNormanMonster.com