[2][3] The river flows 389 kilometres (242 mi)[4] from its source at an unnamed lake to Hudson Bay at the village of Puvirnituq.

The surface of the Puvirnituq River is generally frozen annually from October to June (sometimes until July).

The surrounding hydrographic slopes of the Puvirnituq River are: 'Course of the river from the head' (segment of 177.8 kilometres (110.5 mi)) The "Puvirnituq River" originates from a small unnamed lake (elevation: 609 metres (1,998 ft)) of mountain located west of the watershed between the Ungava Bay watershed, Hudson Bay and Hudson Strait.

The Pingualuit crater is located south of Manarsulik Lake at 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi).

South of the lake, the mouth is a strait of 15.6 kilometres (9.7 mi) long, crossing several bodies of water.

Then the river continues south (26.6 kilometres (16.5 mi) to the north shore of Chamberlaine Lake, which flows westward on 23.3 kilometres (14.5 mi) (including the strait that connects Chamberlaine Lake to the following body of water).

This term comes from the word "puvirniq" meaning "rotten meat" because the animal swelled and rotted before being opened.