The reserve is managed by the Lake Monjingup Development Committee, which received a $32,000 Lotterywest grant in 2008 to improve facilities, manage dieback and introduce native mammals back into the area.

The area was once used as a motorcycle track, a market garden and a watering hole for stockmen's horses.

In 1983 a group of concerned locals started a campaign to preserve the area.

The group planted over 30,000 trees then extended the reserve into surrounding farmland and established over 14 km (9 mi) of walking trails.

[3] The Lake Mortijinup Nature Reserve was gazetted on 6 October 1978, has a size of 4.86 square kilometres (1.88 sq mi) and is located in the Esperance Plains bioregion.