[1] The lake's basin was formed by north–south trending faults during the Upper Pleistocene.

[1] It appears that the lake did not rise much above its current level during the Upper Pleistocene and Holocene, based on examination and radiocarbon dating of core samples of lake sediments.

Lake Ercek is an important site for breeding and migrating waterbirds.

[3] Between 18 and 39 endangered white-headed ducks were recorded at the lake in 2000, including two or three breeding pairs.

[5] This article about an Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey location is a stub.