Geneva lake lies in the pre-glacial Troy Valley in southeastern Wisconsin, in the City of Lake Geneva, the Villages of Fontana-on-Geneva Lake and Williams Bay, and Town of Walworth. It is a freshwater lake that covers an area of approximately 5,401 acres, is 2.1 miles wide at its widest point and has a maximum length of 7.6 miles and a maximum depth of 140 feet. This headwater (or drained) lake is believed to be a filled-in kettle, a shallow, sediment-filled body of water formed from a receding glacier some 18,000 years ago, that gorged-out and depressed the lake basin. It is fed by several small tributary streams, but depends primarily on groundwater and rainfall onto the lake surface for its source of water.

Some of the earliest inhabitants of the Geneva Lake region where the ancient Oneota Tribes. These agricultural peoples built an advanced civilization on the shores of Geneva Lake, and their  effigy mounds or ancient burial sites, serves as a testament to their culture, achievement and existence. The lost effigies of a panther and a Lizard are notable examples of these earthen mounds. Migrating forest tribes, like the Ho-Chunks and Potawatomis, who were hunters and fierce warriors, drove out the earlier inhabitants, but they too were only temporary residents, who were evicted by the United States Army to Lawrence, Kansas at the end of the Black Hawk War of 1831-32. Geneva Lake remained undiscovered until 1831, when an Army party, under the command of Major John Kinzie, made their journey from Fort Dearborn, Chicago, along Indian Trails to Fort Winnebago near present-day Portage, Wisconsin.

On the shores of Geneva Lake are the City of Lake Geneva, and the villages of Fontana-on-Geneva-Lake, and Williams Bay, all of which makes for delightful lake communities. Geneva Lake has a public path along the shore, which covers the entire 23 miles distance, with path conditions that range from easy to rugged. A number of activities and attractions abound on Geneva Lake and its shore; it is a great spot for fishing for panfish, white crappie, walleye, bluegill, northern pike, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and splake. Lakeshore attractions like Big Foot Beach State Park, Stone Manor and Yerkes Observatory are rich in history. Boating and hiking can also be enjoyed on the lake. Natural beauty and charm make Geneva Lake a spectacular gem.