The Pysht and nearby Hoko River are the two largest streams flowing into the southwestern portion of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

It flows southeast a short distance before turning northeast and leaving the national forest and the mountainous country to enter more rolling and hilly terrain.

The South Fork originates in the northern Olympic Mountains and flows north and west to join the main stem Pysht.

Other fish species are likely to be present in the river's estuary, but which have not been formally sampled, include starry flounder, surf perches, and smelts.

[8] Historically the anadromous salmonid fish runs were robust but all have declined, especially the main stem-dependent chinook and chum salmon.

Chinook salmon may no longer be viable in the Pysht watershed and the few that are still seen may be strays from nearby populations such as the Hoko River stock.

Deciduous trees such as red alder (Alnus rubra) and big-leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) were present to a lesser degree.

[8] The Pysht River, its floodplain, and its aquatic habitat has been altered in various ways including road and railroad grade construction, road maintenance and protection (such as riprap), channelization, channel relocation, logging, in-channel wood removal, dredging, homesteading, agricultural development, wetland filling, and rural development.