Abstract: Huama Lake is located on the southern bank of the middle reaches of Changjiang River. Amid the profound integration of human activities and natural impact, the lake has experienced a drastic reduction in both surface area and water volume, a severe degradation of its ecological functions, and consequently faces significant challenges in its protection and governance. Based on a synthesis of existing atlas and literature data, statistical analyses of measured topographic data, and field investigations of socioeconomic activities changes, this study examined the evolutionary trends and underlying causes of Huama Lake complex over the past 70 years. Management strategies were proposed to provide references for the restoration and protection of Huama Lake and other lakes along the middle and lower reaches of Changjiang River. The results showed that, compared with the 1950s, the total area of Huama Lake had decreased by 76.8%. Its sub-lakes, Huajia Lake and Zouma Lake, had shrunk by over 70%, while Huangshan Lake had decreased by approximately 13%. The three primary drivers of this rapid reduction in lake area and volume were reclamation for aquaculture, urban development, and sediment imbalance. To gradually restore the lake′s area and volume, mitigate adverse human impacts on the lake ecosystem, and ensure the sustainability of its ecological service functions, measures such as demarcation of property rights, conversion of polders back to lakes, ecological restoration projects, and enhanced monitoring and patrolling were recommended.