Every state has rumors of River and Lake Monsters, both fictional, and potentially real. Lake Michigan has long thought to have been home to at least a couple sharks that allegedly swam their way up the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.

And while the the lakes are huge, and very easily could hold some unknown gigantic creatures, Michigan's rivers are no stranger to some monsters either.

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Michigan Wildlife isn't to be messed with. Up North, and in the Upper Peninsula, you have to regularly deal with bears, wolves, and moose. But taking refuge in the waters won't make you any safer... sort of.

Some of the craziest creatures, and largest ones, live in the waters outside of the Great Lakes. Some of the stranger ones include the Sea Lamprey, which are actually an invasive species that resemble nightmare-fueled eels more than anything. But they don't get that big.

One of the largest dangerous creatures might be the common snapping turtle. These guys don't quite get as big as the Alligator Snappers down south, but can still grow up to nearly 2 feet long, weigh as much as 75 pounds, and have a bite that will easily take a few fingers off your hand.

Obviously, some of the fish in Michigan's rivers can grow to some crazy sizes, too. The Flathead catfish has been known to grow up to nearly 5 feet long, and more than 120 pounds. Many species of Salmon, too come close to these sizes as well.

Record Setting River Monster

But the true River Monster is one that can grow to the length, and size of a full grown human.

A record setting river monster was caught in the Detroit River on April 22nd, 2021. The 7-foot, nearly 240-pound sturgeon was pulled in by the alpena Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office. It was nearly 4-feet around, and estimated to have been hatched around 1920, making it close to, if not more than 100 years old.

This is likely the largest ever fish caught in the rivers of Michigan, as sturgeon much larger exist in the Great Lakes, and some other surrounding large lakes. But easily, you can say Michigan's waters certainly contain a few monsters... but as long as you leave them alone, you should be safe.