Utah Lake is a remnant of a much larger pleistocene lake called Lake Bonneville, which existed from 75,000 to 8,000 years ago. At its peak 30,000 years ago, Lake Bonneville reached an elevation of above sea level and had a surface area of , which was nearly as large as Lake Michigan. The weight of the lake depressed sections of the lake bottom by as much as before the surface rebounded when the lake dried up. About 12,000 years ago, the climate of the region became warmer and drier. As evaporation rates exceeded inflow rates, the lake began to dry up, leaving Utah Lake, the Great Salt Lake, Sevier Lake, and Rush Lake as remnants.