On one brisk afternoon of Akwasidae (Sacred Sunday), oral history has it that several years ago a hunter called AKORA BOMPE who hailed from ASAMAN in the Amansie East District of Ashanti went on a hunting expedition and discovered the lake.
He was with his dog called DAAKYE (FUTURE). It is said that he shot an antelope (called OTWE in Akan) while hunting through a valley. The antelope did not die on the spot and so he started chasing it. The antelope jumped into a small pond, and the hunter (Akora Bompe) saw a variety of fishes in the pond. He fetched some of the fish to feed the dog. This continued for months and the dog looked healthier than ever before. Later the hunter and his wife also fed on the fish from the pond and nothing happened to them.
One day Akora Bompe met his fellow hunter from Akim Swedru who had also come to stay along the pond for years. He claimed to be the man who discovered the Lake. He stayed at Kwakyeman and was named Ntoo Kooko.
Misunderstanding ensued between the two hunters. The hunter from Asaman (Akora Bompe) reported the case to the King of Ashanti through Asamanhene. This occurred during the reign of Otumfuo Opoku Ware I, the Asantehene in 1640. Soon war broke out between the Ashantis and the Akims. The war continued for two weeks. It is said the Ashantis fought gallantly and defeated the Akims. The Ashanti forces were composed of people from Kuntanase, Akokofe, Kokofu and Abooso. The war started with a few men from Asaman, before the nearby villages joined.
It is said that the Ashantis won the war through the initiative of the queen mother of Asaman. She asked or encouraged the men to roll few stones over the Akims after re-enforcement had come from Kumasi to augment the Asaman forces. After the war, chiefs who took part asked their subjects to settle around the lake for fear that the Akims would stage a comeback.
Villages started spreading around the lake and their subjects were made to supply fish every week and every Akwasidae festival to the Asantehene and Ohemaa respectively.
The underlisted villages around the lake are for the chiefs who took active part during the war.
Abono Pepie I & Pepie II (Pepie I now called MIM) and Brode Kwano are for Nana Kuntanasehene; Amakom for Akokofehene; Donipa for Ahurienhene. Duase - Ankaase and Anomanako are for Nana Kokofuhene. Hantaase - Apew - Detieso Wawaase - Essase are for Asamanhene. Adwafo and Obo are for Krom Adwafohene and Yaasehene respectively. Abaase Abrodwum and Adjamam are for Aboosohene; Nkowi and Assisiriwa are for chief Yaw Berima of Kunuase.
Due to the active role played by the two chiefs (Kuntanase and Asaman) during the war, the Asante traditional council elevated their stool to Paramouncy status.