Strange things going on at Lost Lake
I've recieved several stories regarding some rather interesting things happening at Lost Lake. The Fresno County recreation area, located on Friant Road just north of Fresno on the way to Millerton Lake, has been the site of some rather odd sightings recently.
One witness and their sister in-law were fishing late one evening alone at one of the day beach areas. The witness reported that as they were shining their flashlight on an island across the water, they saw a dark figure moving in the brush. At first they figured it was a coyote or something, but then realized it was too big to be an animal. Just as they were about to turn off their flashlight, the light hit the figure. It appeared to be a young Asian boy, perhaps four feet tall, pale, and only wearing swim trunks. Right as the flashlight was turned off, the person heard a large splash like something heavy was thrown into the water. The witness claims it couldn't have been a fish as whatever it was made a loud splash. They then turned the flashlight back on and searched the area for the little boy, but found nothing. Spooked by this incident, both parties left in a hurry and have never gone back.
The second incident comes from the same two people mentioned before, but this time at a different location in the park. Once again they were fishing late one night, this time off of the broken bridge. Both were talking as their poles were in the water when they looked down towards the water and noticed a large figure in the water swimming to shore. When it reached land, it beached itself and stayed motionless for several minutes. What happened next terrified the two witnesses. Whatever it was, it then stood up on two legs and began to walk around as if it was searching for something. They estimated it was about five feet tall, but couldn't really make out any features as it was so dark. The creature then crouched down on all fours, layed on it's belly and then slithered back into the water and disappeared. Both witnesses were terrified and needless to say, got the hell out of there.
So here we have two seperate types of incidents at the same (generally) location and by the same witnesses. Two possibilities here. One is that whoever told the story is fabricating it, but given the ghost sighting and the stories I've heard about Lost Lake I'm not sure. There's been stories of a young hmong boy hanging himself from one of the trees there as well as several other suicides. Could the ghost they saw have been the same little boy that hung himself?
But what about the strange creature that they saw near the broken bridge? Rumors of a "vortex" of sorts and the land used to be an Indian burial ground have been told for years, but they don't really explain this creature. Granted it was dark that night and maybe they mistook some mundane animal for the thing they saw. But what creature swims onto land, walks around on two feet only then to lower itself back onto all four before sliding back into the water and dissapearing? Plus the fact that whatever they saw was about five feet tall when it stood up. I think Lost Lake needs to be added to the list of places that I need to investigate, so I can hopefully figure out what's going on.
Update 2025: All photos now by me.
Comments
Part of me wants to edit the article to omit that, but since it's their version of what happened I'm going to leave it in.
My best friend made a good point on this. What are the odds of the same people witnessing to different types of sightings at the same general area? I think with this one needs to take it with a grain of salt so to speak.
I don't think that we humans will ever have full contact with these creatures until we can truly appreciate and respect their existence on Earth. They will always be in hiding, leaving traces of their presence here and there, and only be seen when their guard is down.
As threatening as they may seem, I believe that they are generally harmless and even possibly confused. The most evil and damage in the world is done by the hands of man. That's one fact that we cannot deny.
Supposedly, the beaver like transformed itself to escape the moment they threw the rock, it felt threatened and showed its true form.
My sister and her husband both just had their daughter at the hospital where I was told the story, so congrats! He told me to not go there and fish anymore because of that event that had just happened.
Date of site: 2011
Two individuals name: did not say..
Ethnic: Asian (Hmong)
To answer your question, start where it's closest. Find a Hmong family and have the old folks introduce a scary and shocking tale that they know (which they always do have or witness) and begin from there. Hmong people loves hunting and fishing, where they are going, it's the unknown forest and water that's likely to have weird things happen.
These are the creatures that Hmong have encountered in the past knows for a fact that they are true and real: mo hlub(bigfoot), kee kua-em(small monkey like person), poj ntxhoog(tiny female spiritually person), zaj(dragon), nyuj waim(bigger monkey like) and perhaps a few more which I don't know of.. I must first apologize to my Hmong Community people if I happen to miss spell these creatures, but you get my point..
You can try the Asian Community at www.justhmong.com where scary stories are told on the bulletin post.
About 3 yrs ago, an uncle of mine and his buddy (from Merced), plus both of their girlfriends (from Fresno) went latenight fishing at lost lake. Just to mention, all 4 of them are living together in the same place in Merced at the time.Anyways rigth around midnight, they heard noises from across the river so they did the same thing, shine their flashlights at it. they didn't see anything but right when they turn off their lights they heard crying from across the river, (suab nyiam or crying hmong folks would do at a funeral. the crying went on for some seconds until the buddy's girlfriend started crying. she wanted to go home but the guys said it's nothing and decide to stay a bit longer. Being scared the crap out of her, she decided to walk home from the lake. of course after they notice she's gone, they left the lake hoping to see her somewhere along the road.... nothing. When they got to her mom's place the guys didn't know where to start if she wasn't there but as they knock on the door, she (the buddy's girlfriend) opened the door for them. And even until now she don't remember how she got home that night. However that's not the scary part yet.
A few days later as she(buddy's girlfriend) was home alone, sleeping on the couch, she dreamed someone knocking on the door and asking "can i come in?" In her dream, not knowing who is outside, she answered "yes, come in" and went in the bathroom to wash her face as the door opened. When she actually woke up from her dream, she notice her face was wet and the door was wide open. She search the house but no one's home yet. the other 3 are still at work. so she just waited patiently til they get home and told them about her dream and what had happened. Now they're young and stupid, only in their 20's so they didn't do anything, no big deal it's only a dream right?? WRONG... within weeks only, many weird things started happening to her like talking to someone when no one is present, getting up opening door in middle of the night, wouldn't want to leave the house anywhere and she would NYIAM out of nowhere. (And again, she's only 20 at the time so crying like that (nyiam) would not be normal. after a few months, it got to the point where the buddy got scare and decide to take her back to her mom's place. they did the hmong ritual ceremony (Ua Neeb) and stated that she got in contacted with whatever that was that was crying from across the river when she was crying at the lake. also she let that whatever into her life that day she was dreaming about calling that person in from behind the door.
from what i know, she stayed like that for a while even after they ua neeb for her. i myself just thought she's going crazy at the moment but a few months later she returned to the normal her again. every once in a while we'll still hear her talking to herself but after they moved out of the house and my uncle decided he doesn't want to room with his buddy anymore (about 1 & 1/2 yr ago), i haven't gotten the chance to ask how is she anymore.
Again, i'm no witness to any of the action mentioned here other than hearing her talking to herself a few times before but i did hear this straight from my uncle who live in the same house she does and just like the 2 who mentioned in the article that they won't go there anymore.... my uncle has never been back to that place since. Sorry for the long story, just thought i share it with you guys since it might be related to the article.
My story in the mid 80's my family we had a family picnic at Lost Lake. After eating we all decided to go cool at the lake. I could remember the area we where at was pretty swallow. My uncle/aunts were crossing to the other side to a trail. My siblings and I decided to follow them. Almost to the trail, my youngest scream and cried out. My aunt scolded us to hurry up. My youngest sister saw something in the water. I saw it too, but look like an eel. As we got to the trail told my aunt and uncle that we seen something in the lake. My youngest sister was terrified, said it had big black eyes and the body look like a
snake figure. And kids don't lie!! After a few weeks later my youngest sister got sick she lost so much weight. My grandparents had to Ua neeg ( Shaman )for her I remember my grandpa had to go back to the area and Hu plig ( calling her spirit to come back ). Thank GOD she is doing ok! Till now she still remember what that thing look like. Us Hmong do believe that there are water dragon (zaj) that surrounds every lake. Hmong ppl loves fishing I suggest u wear gold copper for protection.
Anyways, that day was full of people swimming everywhere. Especially by the small beach look alike area where people usually watch their baby's and toddlers swim. Me and my daughter climb over to a rock like island and sat there watching everyone swimming. Where we were, the water was drifting fast. My daughter then said she wanted to get in the shallow water so I said sure. I turn around, just at least 3-4 second, she disappear. All I hear was screaming and yelling, someone is drowning. I look side to side for my daughter, no where to be found. I panic and when I realize, a man from across the river said "I think that's your daughter!" I panic and before I can jump in, a young man wearing a white t-shirt and black short grab her out of the water from no where. They just came out of the water. I was so terrify of my daughter life, I didn't pay attention to him. After 5-6 minutes, when I came to a sense my daughter was okay, I look around for him and he was no where to be found. A young man said he saw him cross the river and went to the other side where people usually fish. I went half way only to see no one on the other side. I looked and looked. I couldn't find him. I didn't get a chance to thank this person and he just disappear.
After reading a few comments above of good thing and bad things, this time, the activity that was strange was a person in a white t-shirt and black short rescue my daughter and disappear, no where to be found. He was almost like an Angel at Lost Lake.
In conclusion, I have heard of many terrible activities at Lost Lake. It's scary to think of it. But Michael, if you want to get in the research of all the paranormal activities there, please update us what you find. Lost lake has its good side and bad side. This time it was good to me and my family.
Also another different place. I think it was the year 2010. I fish in a cloudy day as usual and the water is very high. But the fish are biting like crazy at the time. I caught a striper off the sacramento river. I put him in a fishing line and tossed him in the water. Later I was fishing and sitting on a chair. Something big. The size of a beaver but that is only part of the body that I can see. Like a seal if that matter but seal on a day like this? I never see seal on a day like this but it seem like it took my fish. So I ran to the fishing line and pull the fish in. The fish is still there. So as precaution, I set it in my box... lol I cannot think what it was then a dark black. Make a pretty good wave. I fish t'll night then went home like nothing happen. I still fish there.
Have any hmong people here ever heard of a falling tree? I didn't believe this until I experience it myself. Same fishing spot. We heard a very loud tree fall as it was cracking and the sound it fall was so loud. Later the week we went back and found no tree that fall. Same thing while hunting. Check and no tree. Old folk's would say it is p-noj-y what ever that spell... lol
Her and her friends went to lost lake for a little gathering they stayed there pretty late. Her and her guy friend went for a walk just the two of them, I'm not sure which part of the lake they were at.
Well as they were walking they came upon a white figure that looked liked a lady in white. They didn't panic they simply walked away. The next day her friend asked so what did she do? Stumped by the question. Her friend said I know you guys saw here, but the two of them haven't said a word about that night.
Well the whole story to the one I told you is that there was this lady who was getting married she wore a white wedding dress, during her wedding her husband never showed up. As everybody left she stayed and hung herself that night. They say she envy people in a good happy an healthy relationship.
The place they were swimming at is near all the little kids swim at which I call the beach. Then there's the rocky area where people say you make your own jaccuzi and the big empty water where the trail is and swimming in that area you can see a waterfall that's where they swam at.
Hour later i was still in the water, fishes were swimming around me so i was standing there watching them and i looked up to see my mom just hanging out then i feel something brush against my legs. I look down and i see nothing. I still feel like something was swimming around me and the scary thing is you can see the wave in the water like something was there. I slowly started walking bachwards being freaked out. I had my face super close to the water looking hard. You then see the wave moving around me. Think of it a snake or a rat was swimming, the lift of the water and trail you would see? THAT!! It was like something INVISABLE was swimming around me. I got out and went to talk to the old hmong later and all she can say is "i told you" hahaha
I still go there. I fish all the time. I havent seen anything scarier then that so im not freaked out to go back yet. LOL
for the boy who hang himself..im not sure about it. but i did have close friend, that his father hung himself there..he was about 5'5 feet.
My friend had to make a call but had no service on his cell so we stopped at a pay phone outside of a Kmart in Kerman (next biggest town before Mendota). This was around 11p so all the stores were closed and the parking lot empty except us.
We all got out and my friend headed towards the payphone while me and the other guy stayed out front by the car. About 15 ft away there was one of those small merry go rounds for kids. You put in a quater or two and it spins for a few minutes with music playing.
Well the guy with me walks over to it and about 5 feet away it goes off on its own, with music playing too. He jumps back in shock and it immediately stops. We're both standing there a bit in disbelief so I walk over to him and continued towards the ride. Again it goes off as I got about 5 feet away.
At this point we ran to the guy on the phone and told him we should go. We told him what happened and we were all a little freaked out so we cancelled the fishing trip.
Could it have been someone just playing a joke on us? Possibly. But who would wait for someone to walk by that late at night? It could be hours before anyone does.
There's a large pack of fat raccoons on the other side of the river next to those benches that get flooded sometimes. See them at night every time. They seem massive. Just flash your lights to the other side after dark, you will see them.
Also if you go down the nature trail it gets pretty thick, almost like it's been shaped and turned into structures. You guys might want to consider a little big footing out there. For people who know big foots are real, sky harbor has some major foot print highways on occasion. That's not too far from there. Extremely large human like tracks walking and caving into the ground in running fashions.
Also thought I found some bear tracks at Lost around the old heli pad, highly unlikely I know. They're not very brazen, but I've seen bear tracks a lot in my life and these looked like bear tracks. Scratched my head for a bit just seeing them actually. If they were, maybe it wandered down the hills West of Millerton. Might just have been over exciting myself though. Though I'm sure large wildlife comes close to the cities more often then we realize.
So i return to lost lake but gate is closed wen we return so i had to walk frome the gate.witch was not a thing for me but my wife was freaking out for me not to go.but wen its a gift im not letting it go so go its not bad it was a fool moon nothing so everything it was bright.so im walking and to the bottom road at the pump then took a left.to the handicap pools well that what we call it. its were the water pool and kids and easy access for them.idk but that what i know it as sorry if im wrong.but thats were i left my fishing pool. so i started walking there its was live birds bugs were making noise was not bad f.y.i i was packing do to crazy people. but i digress so im walking and before i get the the bathrooms buy the pools. wen i got a chill and everything shut the fuck up at one time. Im talking about from noise to nothing but water running no juck.i find my pool i start walking back witch is about a mile from spot to the gate.i tried acting like i was tuff but it was bull.i got back by the bathrooms and i ran up the hill to walk up on the top road were the moon was bright ..then walk to my car at of all the thi g i have seen in that park witc3was a lot.
That experience that scared me to my bones i felt it was very eval or Dominic ..