Two causeways and one boat, or the pagoda, is a full day. Collecting ten named views is how the lake becomes a checklist.
Morning light is the flattering hour. Haze is common. Go anyway, and eat somewhere that does not face the water.
Getting there
The east shore is the metro side. A bike or a walk on the causeway is the right speed. Broken Bridge is a place on the Bai Causeway, not a ruin you enter.
Staying nearby
Sleep east of the lake if you want the station and dinner. The west shore is quieter and less convenient. There is no hotel on an island you should plan around.