They are the eastern outliers of the Central Alps and part of the Styrian Prealps.

They extend from the water gap of the Mur in the west to the Feistritz Saddle in the east.

Other high points are the Pretul (1,656 m) and Amundsenhöhe (1,666 m), the Teufelstein (1,498 m), the Stanglalpe (1,490 m), the Sauernkogel (1,451 m), the Steinriegel (1,577 m), the Hochschlag (1,580 m) and the Rennfeld (1,629 m).

In the Fischbach Alps lies Alpl (in the municipality of Krieglach), the birthplace of Peter Rosegger.

In 1998 a broadcast in the ORF series, Klingendes Österreich, highlighted the Fischbach Alps.