With flows down the Wimmera River averaging only half of that, the lake rarely fills, but if it does, the water takes three to four years to evaporate entirely.

It supported a commercial fishing industry and was a destination for tourism and water sports, with a water-skiing club having a membership of over 100.

In October 2009, water from the Wimmera River trickled into Lake Hindmarsh for the first time in thirteen years.

[7] The 2010 Victorian floods of September raised lake water levels higher and triggered a revival of birdlife.

[13] European pastoralists occupied land around the lake from 1845, and the Moravian Ebenezer Mission was established nearby in 1859.