The Jaune River originates at the confluence of two mountain streams about 10 km north of
Beauport Lake, in the southwestern part of the grounds of the Séminaire de Québec. This river flows south through the Notre-Dame-des-Laurentides sector, at
Charlesbourg, before flowing into the
Saint-Charles River at
Lac-Saint-Charles. Its
watershed, which rises north of the municipality of
Lac-Beauport, is and includes the sub-basins of
Beauport Lake and
Valet stream. The Jaune River sub-basin is located in a leafy area characterized mainly by the climatic range of the maple forest with yellow birch and beech. Land use in the Jaune River sub-basin is essentially forest and most of the territory is in its natural state. Human activity is present in the form of low-density urban developments on the banks of the Jaune River and Lake Beauport and some recreational and tourist facilities (skiing, golf, accommodation establishments, summer camps). The Jaune River sub-basin is also characterized by the presence of a large number of
dams, often used for recreational and resort purposes. The course of the Jaune River descends on , with a drop of , according to the following segments: • to the south with a steep drop, entering the territory of
Lac-Beauport before coming back for a short foray into Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury, then going south and collecting the discharge (coming from the west) from lakes Bastien, Bonnet and Bleu at the end of the segment, and crossing Lake Morin (length: ; altitude: ) on to its mouth; • to the southeast, collecting the outlet (coming from the west) from Lake Paisible, to the outlet (coming from the east) from
Beauport Lake; • to the south, collecting the outlet (coming from the west) from Neigette and Écho lakes, crossing Simons waterfall, collecting an unidentified stream (coming from the northwest), to the outlet (coming from the west) of Lakes Jaune and Josée; • to the south by winding through a flared and steep valley, crossing the Notre-Dame-des-Laurentides neighborhood and branching west towards the end of the segment, up to the Laurentian highway; • south-west passing north-west of Mont Irma-LeVasseur, the summit of which reaches , meandering through a plain in urban areas and collecting the Valet stream (coming from the north) at the end of the segment, until its mouth. From this confluence, the current descends on generally towards the south-east, then towards the north-east, following the course of the
Saint-Charles River. == Toponymy ==