Weining is in the far northwest of Guizhou, where the province meets Yunnan, and getting there requires commitment. The nearest major railhead is on the Neikuneng Railway (Neijiang–Kunming): alight at Caohai station, which is within a few kilometres of the lake. From Guiyang, the journey takes three to four hours by train.
A small airport (Weining Airport) opened to limited domestic service and connects to Guiyang and a few larger cities, though flight frequency is low. The road journey from Guiyang is around four hours. Once in the county, taxis and three-wheelers serve the town, and the lake entrance is a short ride from the town centre.