Its southern end, at the resort community of Harrison Hot Springs, is c. 95 km east of downtown Vancouver.

The lake is the last of a series of large north–south glacial valleys tributary to the Fraser along its north bank east of Vancouver, British Columbia.

Doctors Point on the lake's northwest shore was a village and Transformer site, with a large rock painting depicting either the spirit of the winds that rule travel on the lake, or a medicine man turned to stone by the Transformer.

On the eastern shore of Little Harrison Lake is the rancherie (village) of the Port Douglas Band of the In-SHUCK-ch Nation.

Opposite Silver River on the west shore of Harrison Lake is Twenty-Mile Bay.