[citation needed] The Einasleigh River rises in the locality of Lyndhurst in the Einasleigh Uplands within the Atherton Tableland, draining the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range below Mount Remarkable.

The Einasleigh River has a catchment area of 24,366 square kilometres (9,408 sq mi).

[2] Following its confluence, the Gilbert River spills into a vast estuarine delta approximately 100 kilometres (62 mi) wide[3] that largely consists of tidal flats and mangrove swamps across the Gulf Country.

The Einasleigh River is a seasonal stream and discharge can vary greatly depending on the intensity of the monsoon.

[4] The record major flood of the Gilbert River was in January 1974 and the floods of February 1991 and in January and February 2009, caused widespread road closures and inundation of properties throughout the catchment.