The lake is connected to Ormesby Broad and Rollesby Broad via a narrow inlet under a road bridge and via the River Bure and the main broads network by a now unnavigable cutting with a lock gate. This cuts the broad off from the main Broadland area and that means there is no water traffic for a majority of the time. As with the other Norfolk broads, Filby is a peat working and is now only about six to eight feet at its deepest. It is approximately half-a-mile long and surrounded on all sides by reed banks and trees, and one end of the Bridges Carrs area of the broad has been given Site of Special Scientific Interest status.
