An early dry season means China's largest freshwater lake, Poyang, has falling water levels and a shrinking surface area, said local hydrographic authorities on Thursday.

At 4 p.m. Thursday, the water level at Xingzi station fell below eight meters, representing an advanced dry water season, said the Jiangxi Provincial Hydrographic Bureau.

The surface area of the lake was only 293 square kilometers, substantially less in the wet season.

The lake has been subject to prolonged dry seasons throughout the last decade due to reduced water supply from the Yangtze River and low precipitation in Jiangxi.

The water shortage has caused a scarcity of drinking water, crippled the local fishing industry, and threatens the lake's ecology.