The name of the river comes from the muskellunge ("Esox masquinongy"), a species of pike from North America.

The largest urban agglomeration in the basin is the town of Saint-Gabriel, which is located on the shore of Lake Maskinongé.

[4] Over forty species of fish are found in the Maskinongé River and its tributaries.

[5] The main sporting species are the brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and the muskellunge (fish) (Esox masquinongy).

There are also the red knight (Moxostoma macrolepidotum), Ambloplites rupestris, brown trout (Salmo trutta), Semotilus corporalis, Perca flavescens, the horned mule, 'Semotilus atromaculatus', black sucker (Catostomus commersonii) and brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus).