The shores of Lake Lychnidus were inhabited as early as (6000-2000 BC).Lake Ohrid is one of the locations for the Illyrian tribe of the Encheleans that is near Pogradec.The area in the antiquity was at the border between Chaonia and Illyria. This is one of the locations that the Illyrians had started copying the styles of the Macedonians.
Drilon, the name of the river that flows into the lake near Tushemisht, is mentioned in early texts of antiquity. The hill overlooking Pogradec is the site of old castle ruins dating back to 5th century.
Pogradec throughout the centuries was occupied by the Romans, Bulgarians, Serbians, Ottomans, and French, Greeks, Italian, and German armies. The second Albanian language schools were started in Pogradec. During the Greco-Italian war in 1940-1941 Pogradec and the areas around it were cut in two by the war front. The town was a favorite summer escape for many communist government officials and particularly Enver Hoxha. The summer residences and the area around them were sealed off from the public
