The Rock Lake Monster, who would later became known as Rocky, was first spotted in the lake in 1867. A man by the name of Harbeck claimed to have seen a large lizard swimming in the lake, and at one point, he said to have encountered it on land. Harbeck stated that the serpent was hidden within large reeds and vegetation along the shore and as he walked by (he must have startled it), the creatures head rose up, it hissed at him, and it quickly made its way back into the water.