Background, aim, and scope The evolution of the lakes which in arid areas is under the influence of climate factors. Bosten Lake is a typical lake in arid areas, it is an important source of surface water in Xinjiang. And it is an important environment foundation in the local social economy development in Xinjiang. This article purpose through rebuilding the process of the increase of decrease of the Bosten Lake area, reviewing the change of Bosten Lake in the history can help us to better understaand the changes that have taken place in recent 10 years, in order to provide reference for the future of Bosten Lake or other lakes in Xinjiang. Materials and methods This article data source mainly include a set of one over three hundred thousand topographic maps of Xinjiang which compilated in october 1935, a series of large scale topographic map which compilated since the foundation of the country, bathymetric data of Bosten Lake in 2008, and nearly a decade of landsat data in Xinjiang. This one over three hundred thousand topographic maps of Xinjiang can clearly reflect the form of Bosten Lake. First of all we conduct vector data of Bosten Lake in Arcgis 10.2 system, then we overlay the bathymetric data and graphic data of Bosten Lake, at last we build the 3D model of the lake in 1935 and 2000, at the same time we estimate the area and the vloume of Bosten Lake. Results Through the study we found that the agency of water of Bosten Lake was at a low level in the 1930s. The area of Bosten Lake is about 620 km~2, and the volume of Bosten Lake is about 4.8*10~9 m~3. In the year of 2000, The area of Bosten Lake achieve the 1185 km~2, and the volume of Bosten Lake about achieve the 8.5*109 km3. From the research results in this paper, the area an volume of Bosten Lake begin to appera the trend of expanding of area and the rising of amount water on the whole from the 1930s. During this period, the average salinity of Bosten Lake was between 0.9 g·L~(-1) and 1.2 g·L~(-1). This numerical was more than the average salinity which get of the modern observation data of Bosten Lake. Discussion We discuss the two time section of the establishment of 3D data of Bosten Lake, aimed through the intuitive data show discussing the rangeability from the 1930s. In order to analyze the state of nature of Bosten Lake in the history. And what change happened as time goes by. These changes under the background of what climate occurred. Because of the mechanism of the influence of climate on lake is more complex, especially in Xinjiang region. The change in climate affected by westerly circulation, NAO, even the AO. The overall climate background or regional influence factors, which influnece is more important to the change of the lake, both in the sorthern of Xinjiang and in the northern of Xinjiang and in the plain or in hilly area is diffence. Therefore we need to continue to explore in the future. Conclusions The conclusions in this article, we found that the Bosten Lake as a representative of the surface waters had a small area of the stage in Xinjiang after the little ice age. The great lakes period may be over in the early 20th century. Secondly, the area an volume of Bosten Lake begin to appera the trend of expanding of area and the rising of amount water on the whole from the 1930s in the last century, this trend has high consistency with the reconstruction results of the ancient climate which setting from the tree ring in the local of Xinjiang region. After the 1930s, the lake basin of Bosten Lake was likely to appear the trend of the climate of warm and wet relatively, the Bosten Lake area expanded again.