The Most Haunted Lakes In The United States That Creeped Us Out

The US Army Corps of Engineers built Lake Lanier in 1956 in an effort to prevent flooding from the Chattanooga River and to provide power and water to remote areas of Georgia. While the lake's construction is considered an engineering success, it came at a high cost.

Under the lake’s serene surface lie the ruins of the former town of Oscarville. The town was once an up-and-coming community mostly comprised of Black-owned businesses and land. More than 50,000 acres of land (including cemeteries) were destroyed, and at least 250 families were displaced in preparation for the lake's creation. The water engulfed the town’s buildings, many of which divers say sit intact at the bottom of the lake.

The lake's somber beginning isn’t the only thing that casting a shadow over its legacy. The land where it was built bore witness to many acts of violence against Black citizens, many of whom were accused of crimes of which they were likely innocent.

Since 1956, more than 700 deaths have occurred at the lake, including various drownings caused by capsized boats that had somehow been ensnared by the buildings below. The number of deaths has easily made this lake one of the deadliest in the United States.

People have also reported seeing shadowy figures along the lake's shores. One of these is a young woman in a blue dress who is missing her hands and screams near the shore. Locals believe she's the spirit of a woman who died when she and her friend crashed into the lake soon after its construction. Her tragic story is only one of the hundreds that haunt the lake.

Locals and visitors have been using Wisconsin's Lake Superior for longevity and recreation for hundreds of years, and as a result, the body of water has garnered the chilling nickname, “the Graveyard of the Great Lakes.”

Some of the most infamous paranormal tales that accompany Lake Superior include sightings of ghost ships, like the SS Bannockburn, which inexplicably vanished on the lake in 1902. No bodies or wreckage were ever found. Another eerie ship tale is that of the SS Hudson, which sank in 1901, resulting in the deaths of its entire crew. People have claimed to see the ship on the anniversary of its demise and to have spoken to apparitions aboard the ship, who claim they're damned to relive their deaths every year.

Various other stories of murders on the shores and on the islands of the lake have led to many reported sightings of ghostly figures and odd sounds. The lake's sheer size has also made it the perfect place to dump bodies and hide secrets over the decades.

Lake Ronkonkoma, located in Suffolk County, NY, was created by a retreating glacier, making it irregular in shape and unusually deep (up to 90 feet in certain areas).

In the late 19th century, the lake gained popularity as a summer vacation spot; that continues today, although many locals believe the lake may be cursed. Since the mid 1800s, about 200 reported drownings have occurred, and no one is sure why this lake’s body count is so high.

Some claim the high fatality rate can be attributed to a curse dating back to the 1600s, when a Setauket Indian Princess named Tuskawanta fell in love with an English settler. Tuskawanta’s father forbade her from seeing or associating with the man, resulting in the princess rowing out to the middle of the lake and stabbing herself in the heart.

Legend says the woman's spirit now pulls down unsuspecting young men who swim in the lake in an attempt to replace her lost love. Many of the individuals who’ve drowned over the years have, indeed, been men, some of whose bodies have taken years to find.

Many consider Veteran's Lake the most haunted lake in the state of Oklahoma. The legend tied to Veteran’s Lake claims it's possessed by the spirit of a woman who drowned while attempting to save her child.

The legend goes on to say that the woman will pull those who dare enter the lake after dark under the surface and drown them. Visitors have reported hearing and even seeing the apparition of a woman asking for help.

Several years ago, a young girl drowned in a mysterious boating accident in Veteran’s Lake, giving locals more reason to believe the lake may be haunted. To this day, many refuse to swim in the lake at all.

Stow Lake is located in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. The lake is a favorite among the city’s residents and has provided a local place for respite for decades. The lake can be peaceful, as long as visitors don’t mind the resident ghost said to haunt its waters.

The tale of the White Lady of Stow Lake dates back to the early 1900s, when a young woman was walking by the lake with her three children. One of them was an infant, whom she pushed in a baby carriage. Becoming exhausted, the mother sat on a lakeside bench and was soon joined by a friend.

As the friends chatted away, the carriage began rolling down into the lake without either woman noticing. When the mother looked up and discovered the carriage was missing, she ran into the lake but couldn't locate it - or her baby. Devastated, she drowned herself in the shallow edge of the lake.

Legend now says a woman dressed in white will appear to visitors and beg for their help to find her baby.

The history of Haunted Lake in Francestown, NH, and how it earned its name dates back to a fire that swept the area and left the trees and greenery around the lake blackened and charred. The landscape’s appearance frightened those who traveled through the area.

Another legend tells of two travelers who came to the area in 1741 looking to settle it. The two men were strangers to one another but decided to work together as they made their way around the land. For reasons unknown, the men fought one night, and one killed the other.

People claim the victim’s spirit hasn't found rest since his murder, resulting in reports of disembodied yelling and shrieking that visitors still hear today. Locals believe some remains found in 1780 by Irish immigrant David Scoby may have belonged to the murdered man, though this hasn’t been confirmed.

Many other deaths, mostly due to drowning, have also been documented, including that of Scoby himself, who fell through a sheet of frozen ice that covered the lake during the spring of 1829. For years, people have reported hearing screams of agony and groans of pain coming from the lake.