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Abstract Moraine-dammed lake outbursts usually threaten highways, railways, and key facilities in alpine regions. The varying amplitudes and distribution of hydrodynamic pressures significantly affect the stability of the dam. We utilize a shaking table to investigate the development of hydrodynamic pressure caused by different sinusoidal waves and seismic Wolong wave. A series of shaking table tests indicate that the hydrodynamic pressure variation significantly follows seismic acceleration wave motion. The maximum hydrodynamic pressures calculated by Westergaard’s equation are compared with the experimental values under different waves. It is shown that the Westergaard’s values are lower than the experimental ones under the sinusoidal waves. However, the Westergaard’s method is able to predict the earthquake-induced hydrodynamic pressure caused by Wolong wave in small lake with desirable accuracy.