The lake is dry-tropical, sitting at about 1,800 metres altitude. Days are warm and sunny most of the year, with cool evenings and a noticeable chill at dawn. The best time to visit is during the dry seasons of January–March and July–October, when roads are easy and birdlife concentrates around the receding water.
Flamingo numbers fluctuate with the lake's salinity, so they are not guaranteed at any particular time of year — but the pelican colony is resident, and the breeding season runs roughly from June to September. The long rains in April and May can make the dirt tracks around the lake rough going, though the surrounding plains turn lush and green.