[1] In the 1980s, multiple reports of an unidentified creature in Lake Tahoe emerged from witnesses, including hikers, an optician, and local law enforcement.
[2] Around the same time, visitors Ron Talmage and Beth Douglas reported seeing a dark shape with multiple humps approximately 100 yards from shore at Tahoe Park Beach.
[3] The legend of Tahoe Tessie is often connected to the beliefs of the Washoe people, who spoke of Water Babies, powerful spirits said to inhabit the lake, particularly around Cave Rock.
Dr. Charles Goldman of the UC Davis Tahoe Research Group has suggested that many sightings of Tessie, particularly those describing humps or waves, could be caused by wind patterns or water movements creating illusions of large creatures on the lake’s surface.
[3] It has also been speculated that large goldfish, introduced into the lake by pet owners, could be responsible for some sightings of unusual shapes moving beneath the surface.
Its ecosystem, which includes fish like rainbow trout and kokanee salmon, could support a large predator that remains undetected in such vast, deep waters.
While no evidence of Tahoe Tessie was uncovered, the divers found various debris such as bottles, tires, fishing gear, and shipwreck planks near Dead Man’s Point—a location tied to local legends of the lake monster.
[4] In 2021, Tessie was featured on Fox Nation's show Monsters Across America, where the episode focused on local legends and cryptid sightings in Lake Tahoe.
The team, co-owned by former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow and businessman David Hodges, adopted a dragon-like creature for its logo, drawing inspiration from local folklore.