They had stories that said a horned serpent lived within its waters. Many American bodies of water were the source for such legends about water serpents and spirits, and it is difficult to use these as proof of Champ's existence. Some historians place the earliest sighting of the creature by a European with Samual de Champlain, after whom the lake is named. Champlain is supposed to have mentioned the creature in a chronicle he wrote in 1609. A careful reading of the text, though, shows that the animal described by Champlain might have been a large garfish, rather than a monster.
Many garfish continue to live in the lake today.
Reports of the monster start showing up in newspapers around 1873. After a moment of paralyzing shock, the workmen ran away. The creature, in turn, swam away. Witnesses reported that the animal had bright, silver-like scales that glistened in the sun. In August of that same year, a small steamship loaded with tourists, allegedly struck the creature and nearly turned over.