Bagan, the district capital, lies 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) to the northwest of the northern lakeshore.

The lake is very shallow and has an angelfish shape, stretching from north to south for over 5 kilometers (3.1 mi).

At the northern end there is a 3 kilometers (1.9 mi) long channel connecting the lake with the Bagan to the north.

During spring floods Mochan fills with river water, but it is so shallow that it dries out before the summer, becoming a salt marsh.

[3][4][5] By mid summer the surface of the lake bottom hardens and in the southern part there are islets where thickets of halophyte plants grow, some of which display a striking purple coloration.