The Great Lakes in North America, which hold 20 percent of the global surface fresh water resources and the Poyang Lake, the largest fresh water lake in China face similar problems and challenges: vulnerable ecosystem, staggering economy, and compartmentalized administrations. This paper briefly reviews the physical and social economical developmental processes of the Great Lakes Basin, outlines the existing problems, and summarizes the corresponding organizational structures and comprehensive strategies for revitalizing the Great Lakes Basin. Subsequently, based on the lessons learned from the Great Lakes Basin, the paper suggests that the Poyang Lake is a unique, multi-functional and multi-purpose ecosystem in China. Management of the Poyang Lake must follow the theories and methods of ecology, focus on sustainable use of the vast amount of fresh water resources, publicize the brand of “largest fresh water lake” in China, and make the Poyang Lake Basin one of the ecotourism, technological service, and trade centers in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.