Large sections of the river parallel the Cassiar Highway, helping to make it a popular destination for canoeists, kayakers, and rafters.

The first European known to have visited the river was John McLeod, a Hudson's Bay Company fur trader and explorer, in August 1831.

In 1837, Robert Campbell established a Hudson's Bay Company fur trading post at Dease Lake.

The community of Dease Lake has a population of approximately 650, and is the major centre in the river's watershed.

In fiction: In Jack London's short story, "Love of Life," the protagonist is trying to make his way to "the river Dease," where he has a cache of food and supplies hidden.