Investigating Lake Meredith’s Legendary Monster Fish; Meredith Mike

Forget Loch Ness. We have our own lake monster in the Texas panhandle. Legends of the creature roaming the waters of Lake Meredith have circulated for decades upon decades. It's hard to find an official start to the rumors of a monster fish living below the surface of Lake Meredith. It makes you wonder, is there any truth to the stories of Meredith Mike and what is it living in the water?

Meredith Mike; The Monster Of Lake Meredith

For well over 50 years, the legend of Meredith Mike has been passed around the Texas panhandle. All over the region, anglers know of the supposed monster fish that is lurking in the waters of Lake Meredith.

The details get as murky as the lake water when it comes to Meredith Mike. His size seems to get bigger every time someone brings him up. Some believe he's a catfish. Others claim he's something else. Either way, everyone agrees that there is something in the lake.

Interestingly enough, Meredith Mike has never been caught except for on one occasion. The one time that Meredith Mike was supposedly brought in, the person who caught him tattooed "MM" on the inside of Mike's lip. Ever since people have been trying to find this monster fish. There have even been bounties put out for his capture. None of them have reportedly been claimed.

What Could Meredith Mike Be?

In all honesty, he probably is nothing more than an oversized version of your run-of-the-mill catfish. In the U.S. we have what people call "the big three" when it comes to catfish.

• Flatheads
• Blues
• Channels

Two of those three types of catfish, blues and flatheads, can get over 100 lbs. According to Field & Stream, flatheads are known to be in our area. Could this legendary monster fish be nothing more than a well-fed flathead? Anything is possible.

I've never seen a 100 lb fish up close, but I imagine if it's on the end of your line it's enough to make you think you've got a hold on some kind of monster.

Who knows what's lurking out in the waters of Lake Meredith? Spring is upon us, and soon there will be an army of poles out on the water. One of them may finally put the Meredith Mike legend to rest. Just be sure to check its lip for the mark.