Harvey Lake is a 116-acre water body located in the area of Northwood known as Northwood Center. On its banks is its most notable landmark, the private secondary academy - Coe Brown Academy - that serves as high school for the towns of Northwood, Strafford and Deerfield. In the near vicinity are St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church, Northwood Congregational Church and Northwood Town Hall. A little further away but near the watershed are Northwood Meadows State Park, considered part of the headwaters of the Lamprey River.

Also located in the vicinity is the town transfer station, which contains two sewage lagoons. The lake is fed by a marshy area known as Tucker Brook which sits north of the lake, across Route 4.
The lake sits 613 feet above sea level and is within 100 feet of Routes 4, 202 and 9 – a major east-west highway that passes along the lake’s northern shore. This is a major commuter road with a high volume of traffic. (Some counts have placed it as high as 47,460 vehicles per day.) The roadway is maintained by the state DOT and in the winter is treated regularly. The Lamprey River Watershed Council identifies Route 4 as one of the main threats to water quality in the town, identifying increased runoff of pollutants from growing traffic on Route 4.
The bathymetric chart available on the Web site of the N.H. Fish & Game Department indicates an average lake depth for Harvey Lake of 10 feet, with a deep spot of 20 feet just south of the peninsula in the center of the lake.

Species of fish in the lake include largemouth bass and white perch. Anecdotal reports from fishermen also indicate large amounts of crappie, yellow perch and some rainbow trout. Wildlife seen around the lake are heron, mallard ducks, an occasional loon, frogs, turtles – painted, box, musk and snapping – snakes, and muskrat. Two eagles have been seen sporadically.  In close proximity have been seen deer, fox, and beavers. The past few years have seen a diminished amount of geese visiting the lake.

Vegetation is abundant around the lake, both on shore and in the littoral zone of the water.  Plant species include arrowhead, yellow and white lilies, bladderwort, and other native vegetation. The only invasive species so far noted has been a patch of purple loosestrife near the area of the inlet.

Lake trophic data on file with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Biology Bureau indicate that Harvey Lake has a:
Shore length: 3900 m
Watershed area: 628.4 ha
Lake area: 42.49 ha.
Maximum depth: 6.1 m
Mean depth: 3.1 m
Volume: 1,320,500 m³
Aerial water load: 8.26 m per year
Flushing rate: 2.70 year -1
P. retention coefficient: 0.58
Lake type: natural with dam