The Kanishushteu River is a tributary of Ashuapmushuan River, flowing into the unorganized territory of Lac-Ashuapmushuan, in the Le Domaine-du-Roy Regional County Municipality, in the administrative region of Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, in province of Quebec, in Canada.

[1] The Kanishushteu River originates from the mouth of Robinos Lake (length: 0.64 km (0.40 mi); altitude: 366 m (1,201 ft)).

The mouth of Lake Robinos is located in a forest zone in the unorganized territory of Lac-Ashuapmushuan, at: From the mouth of Lake Robinos, the Kanishushteu river flows on 14.0 km (8.7 mi) with a drop of 106 m (348 ft), entirely in forest area, according to the following segments: The Kanishushteu River empties at the bottom of a small bay (length: 0.3 km (0.19 mi)) connected to a river bend on the southwest bank of the Ashuapmushuan River.

This confluence is located at the foot of a series of rapids, at: From the mouth of the Kanishushteu River, the current descends the course of the Ashuapmushuan River on 92.9 km (57.7 mi), then crosses lac Saint-Jean eastward on 41.1 km (25.5 mi) (i.e. its full length), follows the course of the Saguenay River via la Petite Décharge on 172.3 km (107.1 mi) eastward to Tadoussac where it merges with the estuary of Saint Lawrence.

[1] The toponym “rivière Kanishushteu” was made official on December 2, 1982, at the Place Names Bank of the Commission de toponymie du Québec.