The small town of Miccosukee, Florida is located on the north eastern shore of the lake in Leon County.

Thousands of years ago, the lake connected directly with the St. Marks River on the south end.

Around the late 1940s, aquatic plant coverage of the lake's surface varied as the basin periodically emptied and refilled on a 10 year cycle.

As aquatic vegetation grew back, more and more of the lake's surface gradually became overgrown with plant life.

There was concern that smoke from the fires could cause traffic accidents on Highway 90 which crosses the lake system at its south end.

At the southern end of the lake, a wooden weir was built to keep the water from disappearing into the Lloyd Sink.

The Florida Forestry Service could not obtain fire permits with concerns of traffic accidents on nearby U.S. Highway 90.