Wolayer Lake is the result of the last ice age, the Würm glaciation, which began about 115.000 years ago. At the time, the glacier had dug the basin and then whelmed the Wolayer Pass with ice. After the ice retreat, around 10.000 years ago, the basin was filled with water, creating a lake up to 14 meters (46 feet) deep, today also fed by groundwater coming from the nearby scree.The maximum water temperature is 14°C.