[3][4] Zhalauly is located about 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) northwest of lake Shyganak.

Road R-170 passes close to the northwestern end of the lake.

[5][6] Zhalauly is an endorheic lake lying at the southern end of the Ishim Plain.

It consists of a larger western lake and a smaller eastern one, connected at the northern end by a sound.

The lake freezes in early November and thaws in late April.