The water level of the river varies with the seasons and the precipitation; the spring flood occurs in March or April.

The Petite Rivière Savane rises at the confluence of three mountain streams, on the west side of Mont Bleu, in the unorganized territory of Lac-Jacques-Cartier.

From its source, the course of this river descends on 10.1 kilometres (6.3 mi) bypassing Mont Bleu by the north, with a drop of 822 metres (2,697 ft), according to the segments following: The Petite rivière Savane flows on the southwest shore of the Sainte-Anne River (Beaupré), in the unorganized territory of Lac-Jacques-Cartier, facing the northern limit of Saint-Tite-des-Caps.

From the confluence of the Petite Savane River, the current flows over 36.9 kilometres (22.9 mi) generally towards the southwest by the course of the Sainte-Rivière Anne, which crosses downtown Beaupré, to the northwest shore of the Saint Lawrence River.

[1] The toponym "Petite rivière Savane" was formalized on March 25, 1997 at the Place Names Bank of the Commission de toponymie du Québec.