During dry periods, people can walk on to the lake area by using places where salt has formed a solid surface.

[7] It is ancient, and probably formed by sand blocking the passage of Tyrrell Creek, a distributary of the Avoca River, which feeds the lake.

The lake environment is host to Mallee reptiles, kangaroos, emus, and the white-fronted chat, an insectivorous bird.

Water levels subsequently dropped due to climatic changes, resulting in cycles of drying and partial refilling.

[7] In 1838, the explorer Edward Eyre was the first non-indigenous person to document Lake Tyrrell, while searching for new grazing land.