Pink Lake is named after a family of Irish settlers who in 1826 cleared a farm in the area.

Due to the meromictic properties of Pink Lake, there are ancient forms of bacteria that use sulfur instead of oxygen to perform photosynthesis.

These bacteria form a layer about 7 metres from the bottom to avoid the oxygenated water and maximize sunlight exposure.

In 2006, research was in progress to identify the patterns of atmospheric conditions over the past 10,000 years by examining the annual deposits of sediment in Pink Lake.

Pink Lake plays a symbolic role in the novel Wash This Blood Clean From My Hand by Fred Vargas.