Motor boats aren't allowed on the lake, with the exception of safety craft operated by the local government. All the fishing vessels you see are powered the old fashioned way.

As for the road, at the moment you can take the Kunyu highway about half the way and then have to turn off onto smaller roads. Wouldn't be so difficult driving if their weren't so many trucks on the road which struggle with the hills and some of the bumpier sections. Once you get to the lake however, it is pretty smooth driving, and a really easy connection from Yuxi City (still involves a few painful sections though). Normally takes about 45 mins to reach the lake from downtown Kunming.