There are two islands located in Bay Lake. The largest is Discovery Island located in the center of the lake and directly across from Disney's River Country. Discovery Island operated as a walk-through wildlife sanctuary from 1974 until 1999. It was closed due to its similarity in theme to the newly opened Disney's Animal Kingdom. The original dock, as well as some attractions, can still be seen on the shorelines.
As of 05/18/23, Discovery Island's shorelines have been covered in wildlife and the only attraction still visible to the naked eye is the island's original dock and maintenance dock, both of which are located on the top side of the island from viewing by the Wilderness Lodge. They are both gated off.
The smaller of the two islands is named Shipwreck Island and is located between the Contemporary and Wilderness Lodge resorts, directly in front of the water bridge.
Bay Lake is primarily used for recreational boating, offered at each of the three marinas connected to it, as well as the two additional marinas located on Seven Seas Lagoon. Fishing is not allowed in Bay Lake with the exception of fishing excursions which must be booked ahead of time. After dark fireworks cruises are offered on Bay Lake as well. The north section of the lake is reserved for watersports activities, which are operated by Sammy Duval Watersports at the Contemporary Resort. Several times a year triathlons are held, usually from the Fort Wilderness Campground. In addition, transportation boats run regular routes from each of the three resorts and several offer routes to the Magic Kingdom.[3]