Before it was a lake, it was a mill pond which was fed by Little Rockfish Creek.

In 2003, heavy rains caused the earthen dam to fail and the lake was unintentionally drained.

By 2006, the lake had not been restored so the Friends of Hope Mills Lake was incorporated as a North Carolina non-profit organization to promote and raise funds for the timely restoration and preservation of the dam.

In June 2010, the Lake was intentionally drained for safety reasons, after an inspection discovered a sinkhole that was leaking water under the dam's structure.

This article about a location in Cumberland County, North Carolina is a stub.