Walchensee lies at above sea level. It is surrounded by wooded mountains. To the northwest stands the Herzogstand-Heimgarten group at and respectively and to the west is the valley of the Eschenlaine. The south side of the Eschenlaine valley is the Simetsberg (), which is the end of the Ester Mountains. To the south of the lake, the Altlacher Hochkopf separates Walchensee from the valley of the Isar. On the eastern shore lies the Jachenau, a long alpine valley that stretches in the direction of Lenggries. The northeast is dominated by the Benediktenwand. A little further to the west is Jochberg (), which completes the valley wall. Between Herzogstand and Jochberg is little Kesselberg, which because of its relatively low prominence appears as a depression between the two higher peaks, but actually separates Walchensee from Kochelsee, below.