Painter Run begins in a small pond in a shallow valley in Davidson Township.

It then receives another unnamed tributary from the left and turns southeast for approximately a mile, flowing alongside State Route 2003.

Several tenths of a mile further downstream, it reaches its confluence with West Branch Fishing Creek.

[2] Painter Run joins West Branch Fishing Creek 6.12 miles (9.85 km) upstream of its mouth.

[3] The unnamed tributary joins Painter Run 2.2 miles (3.5 km) upstream of its mouth.

[4] Between June 2010 and April 2011, the water temperature of Painter Run was measured four times.

[5] Painter Run is designated by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for use for aquatic life.

[6] However, its tributary Oxhorn Run does not meet the standards and is considered by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to be impaired.

The Wisconsinan Bouldery Till occurs on the eastern side of the stream's valley in its lower reaches.

[10] During the Wisconsinan Glaciation, tongues of ice flowed northwest up Painter Run.

[8] An unnamed tributary of Painter Run is considered by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to be Class A Wild Trout Waters from its source to its mouth.

Another bridge of the same type was built over the stream 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of Elk Grove in 1957.