Lort River was named in 1848 by John Septimus Roe, the Surveyor General of Western Australia, while leading a five-man exploration expedition along the coast; the name commemorates John Lort Stokes' work on HMS Beagle surveying the Western Australian coast.

[3] The headwaters of the Lort River begin in the Peak Charles National Park and its surrounding vacant Crown land.

The river flows in a south-westerly direction and enters farmland area for a distance of 45 kilometres (28 mi) with a reserve that is an average of 500 metres (1,640 ft) wide containing riparian vegetation.

It is estimated that 60% of the catchment has been cleared; this has led to increased sedimentation, eutrophication and salinity levels of the river.

This article related to a river in Western Australia is a stub.