The Nastapoka River is a tributary of Eastern shore of Hudson Bay, flowing in the administrative region of Nord-du-Québec, in Quebec, Canada.

The name "Nastapoka", expression of the Cree language, means someone found there a caribou killed by the rapids,[3] meaning that fits perfectly with the landscape data, because just before its mouth, the river reaches sea level with a crash down Nastapoka Falls and its steep vertical drop of 35 metres (115 ft).

The Nastapoka River, between Kuujjuarapik and Inukjuak, also belongs to the land of the Inuit who named it Patirtuuq, that is, [where found] a large amount of bone marrow.

The name Nastapoka River appears in the report of an exploration mission carried out in the sector in 1877 by the scientist Robert Bell.

For its part, the name Rivière Nastapoka appears on the map of Quebec, leaflet north, published in 1914 by the Department of Lands and Forests.