Part of the Rogue River watershed, it is 29 miles (47 km) northwest of Klamath Falls at an elevation of about 6,000 feet (1,800 m) above sea level.

It is one of the largest of the more than 200 bodies of water in the Sky Lakes Wilderness, which straddles the crest of the Cascades.

Red Lake Trail runs along the eastern shore of the lake and meets the Pacific Crest Trail a fraction of a mile to the southeast.

[4] Island Lake supports a population of brook trout ranging in size to a maximum of 18 inches (46 cm).

The lake is restocked periodically and supports natural reproduction.