The area where the lakes now reside was originally one long stream with an arch shape, just outside the city levees.

In the early Middle Ages, a need for water to power watermills spurred the construction of a dam, which in turn caused the creation of the Peblinge Sø.

In the 1960s it was suggested a four lane city ring (named Søringen) be constructed, but the project was abandoned and the lakes were granted the status of protected area in 1966.

During the 2010s, the local governments of Copenhagen and Frederiksberg explored plans to create a park around Sankt Jørgens Sø, with the dual use of acting as a detention basin for cloudburst flood waters.

Likely as a consequence of Global Warming, cloudbursts have become much more common in Denmark, making the sewerage pipes designed for the old weather patterns insufficient; using Sankt Jørgens Sø as a detention basin is just one of many such projects in Copenhagen.

[1][2] The proposed plans were largely set aside after mass criticism from the public, which eliminated any political support to challenge the protected status of Sankt Jørgens Sø and the other lakes.

As a result of this, large quantities of algae formed in the lakes and the water became rather unclear as well as hindering animal and plant life.

[citation needed] The lakes primarily serve as a recreational area and the paths surrounding them are popular for strolls and a favoured running route.