The Search for Hodgee

Now that Lake Hodges has finally filled up with water, my dad and I have been talking about going kayaking through it. After discussing this for much of the summer, my dad decided to do a little research on the lake.

He read a lot about the history of the lake, such as . . .
- The dam was constructed back in 1916 to provide a source of water for the Rancho Santa Fe area
- The first bridge over the lake was built in 1919 at a cost of $80,000
- The City of San Diego purchased the Lake Hodges dam for $490,000 and the area became a favorite for weekend outings

The most interesting part of the history began in 1929 when the mayor of Escondido requested that San Diego look into reports of a creature in Lake Hodges. Scripps Institute of Oceanography began the investigation. After much research, the only discovery was a "lizard-like head" which protruded from the surface of the water one day. This encouraged more research. In 1931, a boat that had been docked on the lake was destroyed and one report said it could have been caused by a large creature.

Scripps Institute eventually created a cage that was placed underwater with a sea lion inside, used as bait. Although no lake monster was caught, the sea lion disappeared and the underwater cameras (strapped to the cage) took this photo.

By 1941, another photo was taken during an investigation.

To this day, Hodgee has not yet been located. However, a non-profit organization, Lake Hodges Scientific Research Center (LHSRC), continues to search for the creature. So ... we will be sure to take a camera with us when kayaking the lake just in case we spot anything.