The lake is situated in Thoubal district, at a distance of about 40 km in the south-eastern direction of Imphal and is located at an altitude of 772 m above MSL is 7.5 m in length and 1.8 m in breadth during the rainy season. The surface area measures 13.5 sq km while the depths in the different areas range between 0.93 and 1.59 m. The depths have become much shallower currently. The volume of the lake is estimated as 0.013 cu m .The Lake is physiographically characterized by a saucer shaped basin with gentle slope and a much silted bottom.

The lake has been the life line of thousands of people as they depend entirely on fishing occupation. The Ikop Lake is currently under great human pressure due to heavy encroachments due to the development of farms by a number of fishing co-operative societies.

Physico-chemical analyses of the water samples from the lake reveal highly polluted condition. There occurs rise in the water temperature while the turbidity rate also stands high. The water in many areas is found to be highly acidic (pH-3.6) while in other areas high alkalinity (pH-9.3) has been noticed. Observation of high concentration of dissolved carbon dioxide coupled with lower values of dissolved oxygen in different seasons reveal the deteriorating quality of water.