This snail appears to occur only in Lake Winnipeg. The Lake Winnipeg Physa is found in shallow water (less than 1 m deep) on medium to large algae-coated rocks in windswept areas close to shore. The lake bottom is typically gravel, sand and rocks.

The Lake Winnipeg Physa snail has a flattened globe-shaped shell that makes the snail appear relatively wide. The fragile shell, which is usually less than 11 mm in length, is a dull bluish-grey colour and often pitted. Living snails have light grey skin marked with a few black spots. The snail has an extremely delicate shell, and frequently does not live for more than one year.