[3][4] The Kazakhstan–Russia border lies about 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) to the northwest and northeast of the northern shores of the lake.

Kishi-Karoy village, formerly Kievskoye, Bostandyk, Baytus and Kenashchi, formerly Menzhinskoye, are the nearest inhabited localities.

[7] Larger lake Ulken-Karoy (Big Karoy) lies to the east and Kalibek and Alabota to the southwest.

In the summer Kishi-Karoy shrinks and becomes hypersaline and in years of drought the lake may dry completely up.

[5][8] Kishi-Karoy is surrounded by the arid Kazakh Steppe landscape where the main vegetation is sagebrush and fescue.