The Montreal River is a river

River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

 in Timiskaming District

Timiskaming District, Ontario

Timiskaming is a district and census division in Northeastern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. The district was created in 1912 from parts of Algoma, Nipissing, and Sudbury districts. In 1921, Cochrane District was created from parts of this district and parts of Thunder Bay...

, Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. It travels 220 kilometres (137 mi) from its source at Smoothwater Lake

Smoothwater Lake

Smoothwater Lake is a lake in northeastern Ontario, Canada, located in Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park in the Temagami region....

 to its mouth at Lake Timiskaming

Lake Timiskaming

Lake Timiskaming is a large freshwater lake on the provincial border between Ontario and Quebec, Canada. The lake, which forms part of the Ottawa River, is in length and covers an area of almost . Its water level ranges between and above sea-level, with a mean annual average of . The lake is...

 on the Ottawa River

Ottawa River

The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...

. The river is a significant source of hydroelectricity

Hydroelectricity

Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...

.

Course

The Montreal River has an inverted check mark shape, first flowing 70 kilometres (43 mi) north east, then 150 kilometres (93 mi) south east to its mouth. It begins at Smoothwater Lake in Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park

Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park

Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park is a remote park in northeastern Ontario, Canada, near Lake Temagami. It is one of the several provincial parks located in the Temagami area....

. Ishpatina Ridge

Ishpatina Ridge

The Ishpatina Ridge is the highest point of land in the Canadian province of Ontario. At an estimated above sea level, it is a rather low mountain and not that steep, as the surrounding land in the area is already quite elevated. Ishpatina Ridge rises approximately above the immediate area. To...

, the highest point in Ontario, lies in the Montreal River drainage basin

Drainage basin

A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...

 just south of Smoothwater Lake, and separates the headwaters of the Montreal River proper, to the northwest, and the headwaters of the tributary Lady Evelyn River

Lady Evelyn River

The Lady Evelyn River is a river in Temagami region in Nipissing, Sudbury and Timiskaming Districts, Ontario, Canada. The river begins at the confluence of the North and South Lady Evelyn Rivers and flows to its mouth at the Montreal River...

, which joins far downstream, to the southeast.

The river heads north, takes in several tributaries and reaches Inlet Bay on Gowganda Lake and the community of Gowganda

Gowganda, Ontario

Gowganda is an unincorporated community in the Canadian province of Ontario, located on Highway 560 in the Timiskaming District.-External links:* profile at the James Bay Frontier Travel Association* Angler's Atlas map download...

. The river exits the lake at Outlet Bay, passes under Ontario Highway 560

Ontario Highway 560

Secondary Highway 560, commonly referred to as Highway 560, is a provincially maintained secondary highway in Northern Ontario. It begins in the west at Highway 144 and its eastern terminus is Highway 11 at Englehart...

 and continues northeast. It reaches The Forks at Matachewan

Matachewan, Ontario

Matachewan is a small township in Timiskaming, northeastern Ontario, Canada, located at the end of Ontario Highway 66 along the Montreal River.The town's main economy is based on mineral mining, mainly gold mining, with some tourism.-History:...

 and takes in the major left tributary West Montreal River. It continues northeast briefly to Fox Rapids, then turns southeast, passes under Ontario Highway 65, takes in the right tributary Sydney Creek and left tributary Council Creek and reaches the Ontario Power Generation

Ontario Power Generation

Ontario Power Generation is a public company wholly owned by the Government of Ontario. OPG is responsible for approximately 70% of the electricity generation in the Province of Ontario, Canada. Sources of electricity include nuclear, hydroelectric, solar, wind, and fossil fuel...

 (OPG) Indian Chute Generating Station and dam at Indian Chute Falls. The river continues southeast to the community of Elk Lake, takes in the right tributary Makobe River and again passes under both Highway 65 and Highway 560. The river continues southeast, passes through the Mountain Chutes, takes in the major right tributary Lady Evelyn River at the community of Mowat Landing, passes into Bay Lake and reaches the town of Latchford

Latchford, Ontario

Latchford is a Single-tier municipality town in Timiskaming District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is located on Bay Lake on the Montreal River near the town of Cobalt and the municipality of Temagami, and is 20 kilometres from the city of Temiskaming Shores. The population of the town in...

. The river is paralleled by Highway 65 for the stretch Matachewan to Latchford.

The river heads over the Latchford Dam and under the Sgt. Aubrey Cosens VC Memorial Bridge

Sgt. Aubrey Cosens VC Memorial Bridge

The Sgt. Aubrey Cosens VC Memorial Bridge is named after Sgt. Aubrey Cosens VC, and is located in Latchford, Ontario where Highway 11 crosses the Montreal River....

 carrying Ontario Highway 11, attains OPG Hound Chute Generating Station and dam and further downstream Canadian Hydro Developers

Canadian Hydro Developers

Canadian Hydro Developers, Inc. was a Canadian company that operated 12 hydroelectric power sites, eight wind power sites and one biomass power site in Canada....

' Ragged Chute Generating Station and dam. The river flows over Fountain Falls and the Paugan Rapids, and enters the reservoir of the OPG Lower Notch Generating Station and dam. It then passes over the dam and under Ontario Highway 567 to reach its mouth at Lake Timiskaming.

Ecology

Two bird banding stations are located in the Montreal River drainage basin. One is at Mountain Chutes southeast of Elk Lake, and a second at Gillies Lake just northeast of Latchford.

Tributaries

• Sandstone Creek (right)
• Giroux Creek (left)
• Hound Chute Creek (right)
• Gillies Creek (left)
• Loon Creek (left)
• Sucker Gut Creek (right)
• Gilchrist Creek (right)
• McLaren's Creek (left)
• Kitt Creek (right)
• Wadi's Creek (right)
• Lady Evelyn River (right)
• Moccasin Creek (right)
• Spray Creek (right)
• Barber Creek (right)
• Etwill Creek (right)
• Wabun Creek (left)
• Moosehorn Creek (right)
• Makobe River (right)
• Explorer Creek (right)
• Council Creek (left)
• Sydney Creek (right)
• Whiskeyjack Creek (left)
• West Montreal River (left)
• Miller Creek (right)
• Gowganda Lake
• Haines Creek (right)
• Okinada Creek (left)
• Smoothwater Lake
  • Smith Creek