Fannette Island in Emerald Bay is the only island found in Lake Tahoe. Located on the west shore of the lake in beautiful Emerald Bay. The island rises up 150 feet from the water. Besides the lake monster, Tessie, the ghost of a hermit haunts Fannette Island, Captain Richard Barter, can be seen wondering Fannette Island on foggy nights. The legend of Tahoe Tessie dates back to the Native American Tribes that inhabited the region, the Washoe and Paiute. For decades, people have reported sightings of a large, serpent-like creature that swims in the dark waters of North America's largest alpine lake. The name Tahoe Tessie was coined in the 1950's by a local newspaper columnist, Bob Price, who wrote humorous stories about a friendly monster that lives in the lake and helped people in trouble.
