Cordova Bay extends north and west from its mouth to Lime Point, where it connects with Hetta Inlet.
In 2006, the US Supreme Court ruled against a petition by Alaska that would have declared all these waters, including Tlevak Strait, parts of a juridical Cordova Bay.
Much of the eastern shore of the bay is part of the South Prince of Wales Wilderness within the National Forest.
South of Hunter Bay, the Prince of Wales shoreline is more gentle, rising to low rolling hills dotted with lakes.
The other three large islands have a mixture of mountainous terrain and hills, with low-lying land at some places along the shore.