Seneca Lake Mysteries

The time has come for the podcast to end, but I'm not done bringing you stories of the unusual, strange and unexplained on New York's largest Finger Lake. In this episode, I'll talk about why I've decided to end the podcast and what the future holds for Seneca Lake Mysteries. Plus, I have a very special musical recommendation. THANK YOU! And stay tuned! Reap 'em in the Valley – Willie Watson podca...

In this episode, I'll share the story of a UFO encounter from 1980 that was submitted by a listener. The sighting lines up with the incredible, multi-witness sighting that occurred in Ovid that same year (a story covered in Episode 13). Then, we'll hear a tale from the late 19th century about the search for buried treasure in Lodi , NY, and whether that treasure was ever found. Finally, Rick from...

In this episode, we'll look at the story of some enterprising young men who back in 1939 built an underwater helmet breathing contraption and brought it to Rock Stream to explore below the waves of Seneca Lake. Next, we'll go back to 1947 for the tale of an albino trout that was pulled from Seneca Lake by some local fishermen, two years before the iconic Seneca White Deer were first reported on th...

In this episode, we revisit the mysterious round craters that were recently discovered at the bottom of Seneca Lake believed to be caused by methane gas seeping through the lakebed. Then, we'll examine other cases of craters found at the bottom of the ocean, including one that has some striking and distinct similarities with those found at Seneca Lake...although scientists have concluded that site...

In this episode, we'll into two UFO reports from the last week of July around the southern tip of Seneca Lake . Video footage was shot of an orb over Burdett on the 25th, and on the 29th, the Schuyler County Sheriff’s Department dispatched deputy to investigate anomalous light(s) moving from Watkins Glen and towards Reading . Next up are a couple of stories of people who faked their own deaths on...

In this episode, we explore the extraordinary life of Dresden, NY native Bolton Coit Brown . An accomplished artist, painter, lithographer and mountaineer of the late 1800s and early 1900s, Bolton spent his childhood exploring the woods and streams near Seneca Lake. Did his strange youthful rituals in the waters of Seneca Lake inspire or influence him to live a life of consequence and leave a lega...

In early July 2025, I visited Connecticut Hill , also called the Alpine Portal , with my guide, Rick. Rick has spent the last 15-20 years hunting on Connecticut Hill, which is widely known for mysterious phenomena like UFOs, hauntings, cryptid sightings , anomalous weather and more. Our goal was to find a possible native stone pile Rick had previously photographed. Though we didn't find that stone...

On July 9th, 2025, a resident of Rochester, New York captured footage of a large cat, believed by state DEC officials to be a cougar, on their doorbell camera, with the video going viral and putting the city in the media spotlight. The Seneca Lake area also has reports of large cats in the past decade or so, with multiple witnesses spying what appeared to be a black leopard in two locations includ...

In this episode, we explore the mystical and mind-bending world of earth magic and geomancy with The Vortex Detective Dan Shaw . Dan shares details of his nearly 40-year study of earth magic before breaking down some of the basics: earth energies, ley lines, sacred geometry, visionary maps, vortexes , electromagnetism, ancient civilizations, energetic monuments, and the human connection to it all....

In this episode, we'll look into two separate orb sightings that took place around the spring of 2022, both in the same neighborhood on North Street in Geneva at the northern tip of Seneca Lake. Not only were the two orbs seen moving through the air at a low altitude, one of the orbs was caught on video, which was seen by several witnesses, and even interacted physically with a resident's car. I'l...

For this episode, we are back on location at Willard Cemetery with Seriah Azkath, host of the “Where Did the Road Go?” podcast, for the second of our two-part conversation from a June evening at one of Seneca Lake's most mysterious spots. First, we talk about an ancient earthwork that once existed near the cemetery before going into different types of earthworks, their ceremonial purpose, commonal...

For this episode, we go on location at Willard Cemetery with Seriah Azkath , host of the “ Where Did the Road Go? ” podcast, for the first of two parts of our conversation from a June evening at one of Seneca Lake's most mysterious spots. First, we dive into the history of the Willard State Psychiatric Hospital , from its inception in 1869 as the Willard Asylum for the Chronic Insane through its c...

In this episode, we'll go deeper into the history of the Seneca Drums , the theories that attempt to explain the phenomenon, and the time in 2009 when the US government said "right now we don't understand what makes (the Seneca Drums)." Next is a new kind of segment spotlighting some some locally-produced beers, wines and spirits that are named after some of the unusual, strange and unexplained st...

In this episode, we'll look at the recently announced research project to solve the mystery of the Seneca Lake Drums , the newly-released data showing dozens of “holes” on the bottom of Seneca Lake. Next, we'll get into the iconic Seneca Army Depot , the land where it's located, the people who lived there, the depot's founding, its influence on global history, its ties to the Manhattan Project and...

First, we've got the all-time champion of Seneca Lake Monster stories, the 1900 encounter with the steamboat Otetiani that I call The Steamer-Serpent Showdown. Then, we've got what I consider the top contender for the second-best Seneca Lake Monster story ever: The Blacksmith and the Giant Eel. Next, we're off to the year 1968, when a surge of UFO sightings took place across the Finger Lakes and a...

In this episode, I introduce the new podcast and cover some intriguing and wild stories including a search for hidden gold, giant whirlpools, bizarre creatures by the railroad tracks, April Fool's Day terror on the water, a missing piece from a forgotten manuscript and much more. Mystery manuscript New episodes on the 7th, 17th and 27th of each month podcast@senecalakemysteries.com 607-307-1167 Se...