The headwaters of the river rise near Ben Lomond East in the Great Dividing Range and flow in a northeasterly direction.

The river flows roughly parallel with the Hervey Range Developmental Road past Mount Cataract and Mount Black on the Bohle Plains.

The river is crossed by the Bruce Highway near Kulburr and discharges into the Coral Sea between Yabulu and Beach Holm approximately 10 kilometres (6 mi) north west of Townsville.

[3] A total of 22 species of fish have been found in the river, including the glassfish, Roman nose Goby, Fly-specked hardyhead, Golden Gudgeon, Jungle Perch, Barramundi, oxeye herring, eastern rainbowfish, spotted scat, and Crescent Perch.

[4] The river is named after John Melton Black who was a pastoralist, merchant and a settler of Townsville.