Historically, the lake was known as "Victoria". This name was given to the lake by the British officer John Wood, who in 1838 traveled to the sources of the Oxus. John Wood named the lake after Queen Victoria of Great Britain. Hence Zorkul is not only a beautiful natural place, but is also a historical place. It is a place where the Great Game of the 19th century for the division of the Pamirs was played. According to the Russian-British agreement of 1895, the border between the Russian Empire and Afghanistan passed along the lake. The Zorkul Reserve was established in 2000 to preserve the unique natural complex of the Eastern Pamirs and to protect mountain geese (up to 600). These and other rare species in the are were listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Tajikistan. In 2001, Lake Zorkul was included in the list of wetlands covered by the Ramsar Convention. In 2006, the State Committee for Environmental Protection and Forestry of the Republic of Tajikistan nominated the Zorkul Nature Reserve as a candidate for the UNESCO World Heritage List. The state reserve of Zorkul State Reserve was formed on the basis of the existing Zorkul Nature Reserve.

Lake Zorkul is located in the eastern Pamirs between the Murghab and Ishkashim districts. It stretches from east to west for 25 km and covers an area of ​​87,700 hectares. The territory of the lake is 389 square kilometers, it is located at an altitude of 3914 meters above sea level. Its absolute altitude is 4126 m above sea level. The lake is 33 km long and 23 km wide. The Muzkul River flows to the south, and the Qaradjilga River flows to the north of the lake. The source of the lake are glaciers. The Pamir River flows out of Zorkulinto the Pyanj River. Thus, Lake Zorkul is the source of the Amu Darya River (Oxus River).