The bodden is bounded to the north by the peninsulas of Wittow and Jasmund, which are linked by the narrow spit of Schaabe.
To the east near Lietzow it is linked to the Kleiner Jasmunder Bodden by a ditch and sluice gate.
In the west at the Wittow Ferry the bodden has a narrow branch running into the lagoon of Rassower Strom and is thereby linked to the Baltic Sea.
The extreme southeastern shore of the bodden near Ralswiek is the venue for the Störtebeker Festival that takes place every summer.
The bodden has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports large numbers of wintering waterfowl as well as breeding sandwich terns and white-tailed sea-eagles.