Sylvan Lake covers about 42.8 square km, with an average depth of about 9.6 m and a maximum of about 18.3 m. It sits in Lacombe County and Red Deer County, west of the City of Red Deer. The Town of Sylvan Lake is on the southeast shore, and the summer villages of Sunbreaker Cove, Birchcliff, Jarvis Bay, Norglenwold and Half Moon Bay sit around the rest of the lake.