Located to the north of the historical city center, the lake is fed by the artesian karst springs of the area and hence retains a fairly constant water level through the entire year.

Military governor Han Fuju had an emergency escape tunnel constructed that connected the basement of this hall to the outer city.

The Haoran Pavilion (Chinese: 浩然亭; pinyin: Hàorán Tíng) stands on the lake's south shore.

The Ancestral Hall of Lord Tie (Chinese: 铁公祠; pinyin: Tiěgōng Cí) is located on the northwest shore of the Lake.

Tie Xuan was renowned for his heroism and loyalty in the defense of the city against the rebelling Prince Zhu Di, the later Yongle Emperor.

The Nanfeng Ancestral Hall (Chinese: 南丰祠; pinyin: Nánfēng Cí) is a memorial to the Song-dynasty scholar Zeng Gong.

The Jiaxuan Ancestral Hall (Chinese: 稼轩祠; pinyin: Jiaxuān Cí) commemorates Xin Qiji, a military leader and statesman of the Southern Song dynasty who was born in Jinan.

During the Qing dynasty it was rededicated to the memory of Li Qingzhao The Daming Lake Nanfeng Theater (Chinese: 大明湖南丰戏楼; pinyin: Dàmíng Hú Nánfēng Xìlóu) is located in the courtyard of the Nanfeng Ancestral Hall and was constructed during the late Qing dynasty.

The lake is mentioned in "Commentary on the Waterways Classic" (Chinese: 水经注; pinyin: Shui Jīng Zhù) by Northern Wei dynasty writer and geographer Li Daoyuan (died 527).

Daming Lake is also the subject of a poem by Zhang Zongchang, military governor of Shandong from 1920 to 1928, that has been frequently quoted to ridicule him: 大明湖 明湖大 Dàmíng hú míng hú dà The Daming ("Daming" means "big brightness") Lake, the bright lake is big 大明湖里有荷花 Dàmíng hú lǐ yǒu hé huā In the Daming Lake are lotus flowers 荷花上头有蛤蟆 Hé huā shàng tóu yŏu há má On the lotuses are toads 一戳一蹦达 Yī chuō yī bèng dá [You] prick them once, [the toads] leap once Because of its cultural significance, the Daming Lake has attracted visits by artists, scholars, and political figures over the centuries.

Recorded visitors include: Daming Lake is located to the north of Minghu Road and to the south of the old city moat.