There is a legend about this lake. The legend says that the "Old Man of Lake Ülemiste" () lives in the lake. When anyone meets him, he always asks: "Is Tallinn ready yet?". If the other person answers "Yes, the city is ready.", then the old man will send the lake waters out to cover the city of Tallinn. In this way, if anyone meets this old man, they should answer: "No, the city is not ready. There is a lot of work to do still." In this way the city can be saved.