The site is an Important Bird Area (IBA) of Canada, designated as Last Mountain Lake NWA (SK 001).

Last Mountain National Wildlife Area resides in territories of the Cree, Anishinabewaki, Blackfoot, and Métis.

[6] Historically, Indigenous peoples would visit the area during the fall months to fish for northern pike and whitefish in Long Lake and hunt bison, which was key to their livelihoods.

[7] In 1869, the Hudson's Bay Company built a trading post on the south end of the lake, known as Last Mountain House, with settlers following by 1885.

Recognized for its importance as a remote breeding habitat for birds, Last Mountain Lake Wildlife Area became federally protected in 1887.

The protected area originally consisted of just 1,025 hectares (2,530 acres) located on the northern end of Last Mountain Lake.

[8] In 1987, 100 years after first being protected as a bird sanctuary, the Last Mountain Lake National Wildlife Area was officially established and encompassed 15,602 hectares (38,550 acres) of marsh, grasslands, and uplands.

[11] While these areas mainly have grasses and non-native weeds growing in the present day, they were used as agricultural land in the past because of the soil composition.

[11] Several different trees and shrubs including trembling aspen, willow, and thorny buffaloberry also find the soil composition easy to grow in and have been able to thrive in these areas.

[11] Aquatic habitats (approximately 4,300 hectares (11,000 acres)) include streams, dugouts, deep marshes, and artificial reservoirs.

[11] Migratory birds and wildlife use the lake's shallow bays for migration routes, nesting, and roosting cover.

The boundaries of the national wildlife area were originally put in place to protect wild fowl breeding grounds.

[11] Climate in this region of Saskatchewan involves long, warm summers and frigid, snowy, and dry winters.

[13] The province of Saskatchewan is expected to experience increased severity and frequency of extreme weather events such as droughts, flooding, and forest fires.

[15] One native grassland complex that encompasses about a tenth of the area is mainly composed of northern rough fescue and spear grass, with herbaceous species also present including holden bean, northern bedstraw, crocus Anemone, low goldenrod, yellow toadflax, and western snowberry.

[10] At the north end of the lake, Ducks Unlimited Canada has constructed water control structures that provide supplementary marsh habitat for waterfowl and mud flats for shorebirds.

[10] To protect the flora and fauna of the area, there are rules and regulations put in place restricting access to certain activities.

Environment and Climate Change Canada's Wildlife Enforcement Directorate (ECCC-WED) officers are put in place to ensure the compliance with these regulations among all visitors to the park.

[11] The management plan not only restricts activities available to the public, it also implements restorative and conservative strategies that benefit the habitat and species of the area.