Yihun Lhatso rests in a valley on the north side of the Chola Mountains at the foot of Rongme Ngatra.

The lake occupies a u-shaped valley and is contained by the former terminal moraine of a glacier originating from Rongme Ngatra that has now receded to 4,100 m (13,500 ft) above sea level.

[1] The lake is drained by the Tro Chu (Chinese: 朝曲; pinyin: Zhāo Qū), a tributary of the Yalong River which eventually joins with the Yangtze.

[2] As part of the historic Kham region in Tibet, Yihun Lhatso has long been known to the Tibetan people.

Today, it is a common tourist stop for hiking and the entire Yihun Lhatso area charges an admission fee.