Both lakes have naturally a high evaporation process in the dry Patagonian environment by means of strong winds action and solar radiation.

This lake, once called Otrón by the ancient tehuelches[citation needed], received its current name in 1876 from naturalist and geographer Francisco Pascasio Moreno who aimed to honour the Patagonian adventurer George Chaworth Musters.

Musters occupies a Cretaceous conformed depression in the central Patagonic mesa in the Golfo San Jorge Basin.

Also, as is the case with most Patagonian lakes, foreign salmonidae have been implanted, like Salvelinus fontinalis, rainbow trout, and in lesser amounts, Salmo fario.

[3] Subsequent analysis have shown that Moreno appear to have mistaken it for the larger General Carrera Lake whom indigenous Tehuelches called Coluguape.

[3] Colhué Huapi fills a shallow depression formed by strong eolean action over an area of fine clays.

This complicated the already resented water balance of the whole system to the extent of near-collapse at Colhué Huapí, whose peripheral surface continuously retracts and dries.