Lake Onega water per year, of which 46% are industrial and household water, 25% is stormwater runoff and 16% is melioration-related drainage. This drainage contains of phosphorus and of nitrogen; respectively of these elements are removed through the River Svir whereas the rest accumulates in the lake. Ships and motor boats (about 8,000 units) bring oil pollution at the level of about per navigation year, as well as phenols (), lead () and oxides of sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon. The lake basin is a major source of granite, marble and black schist in Russia which have been exploited in the area since
Lake Kubenskoye lake. Administratively, the lake is divided between Vologodsky District (west), Sokolsky District (southeast), and Ust-Kubinsky District (east) of Vologda Oblast. In terms of the area, Lake Vozhe is the fourth natural lake of Vologda Oblast (behind Lake Onega, Lake Beloye, and Lake Vozhe) and the fifth lake (also behind the Rybinsk Reservoir). The area of the basin of the lake is . The basin occupies much of the central and northern parts of Vologda Oblast, as well as parts of Konoshsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast. The major tributary of the lake is the Kubena River. The lake was settled by