Climate
Fairly cold year-round but much nicer from June to September when local families are on site and not spending the low season in Yili Town, making it difficult to find a place to spend the night.
Understand
The lake is far from Urumqi, close to Kazakchstan borders. Around the lake live just some Kazakchs with sheeps and horses. Enterances and few hotels are under construction, but only on one place. That means you can camp where ever, spend some time here and than continue to Kazakchstan or go back to "China".