Sturgeon Lake sits between Lindsay and Fenelon Falls, the widest part of the chain that runs from Bobcaygeon up to Cameron Lake. Its 21 kilometres of irregular shoreline are part wooded, part farmed, part cottage-lined, and it has one of the few real beaches on the inner Kawartha lakes at the small public spot in Sturgeon Point.
Most water access is private. Public boat launches are at Thurstonia Park near Fenelon Falls and at Ken Reid Conservation Area on the south shore. The lake is shallow and warm — a long swim is comfortable from late June to early September.