 Water is taken from the lake for the Tongariro Power Scheme, feeding the Tongariro River via the Moawhango Tunnel, although some water is released to continue down the Moawhango River nearby the settlement of Moawhango.The lake is dammed at the southern end.Lake Moawhango contains a large population of wild rainbow trout, and while these are easily caught, they very rarely exceed in weight.