The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "the lakes" for Ngāroto.

[1] The Battle of Hingakaka was fought nearby, and the sacred carving Te Uenuku lost at this time.

[2] In 2016 a pou, representing 7 atua, was erected near the spot where Te Uenuku is thought to have been found.

It has very high levels of nutrients, microscopic algae and suspended sediment and its water clarity is low and decreasing by around 10 cm (3.9 in) a year.

The lake is now monitored by a harmful algal bloom indicator, a buoy to measure pigment produced by the cyanobacteria and satellite imagery.