Williams Lake Humanoid Encounter 1976
Williams Lake is a 155-acre body of water in Oakland County Michigan’s Clinton River watershed.
Named for Ferdinand Williams, the first person to settle the lake in 1829, Williams Lake is a popular spot for water sports. With a maximum depth of forty-five feet, the lake supports numerous species of fish including both smallmouth and largemouth bass, bluegill, northern pike, crappie and perch.
For years, the lake was a popular parking spot for couples to spend their evenings. One couple got a bit more than they bargained for while sitting by the lakeside one night in 1976.
Gray Barker, known for writing about UFOs and the Men In Black, reported on the encounter in the March 1977 issue of Saga UFO Report. The incident occurred on May 15, 1976. As Barker writes:
“A couple observed a peculiar light that “hovered and oscillated” rapidly over the area above the lake. Later that night, they were parked in an isolated spot next to the lake when they spotted another light over the water.
The man leaned out of the window to get a better look when something grabbed him. He jumped back inside then a huge, dark humanoid shape leaned over the car and began scratching and rocking the vehicle.
A creature, described as having a huge, reptilian like face with a wide slit mouth and bulbous eyes thrust itself partly though the window and grabbed one of the witnesses with a large, flipper like hand.
The second witness struck the creature on the face with a bottle and it withdrew outside. The creature then retreated and apparently jumped into the lake, as the witness heard a loud “splash.””
While other UFO reports have come from the area over the years, the strange humanoid doesn’t appear to have returned. Was it a case of mistaken identity or imagination fueled by the strange light in the sky? Or was there some kind of lizard man lurking in the lake?
The case remains another interesting puzzle in the catalog of Michigan’s weird events.