It rises at a height of about 760 m above sea level (NN), about two kilometres (1.2 mi) northwest of the village of Kühnhaide [de] in the municipality of Marienberg.

Between the Marienberg and the roughly 100 metre higher Kühnhaide plateaux the Red Pockau has cut deeply into the terrain.

Below the ponds called the Rätzteiche, there is a steep-sided V-shaped valley that becomes more canyon-like below Pobershau.

At the northern exit of Pobershau it collects the Schlettenbach stream.

In former times, the Red Pockau used to be called "the Little Bockau or the Red Water" (die kleine Bockau oder das rothe Wasser) and the Black Pockau (Schwarze Pockau) the "Great Bockau" (Große Bockau) or "the Black Water" (das schwarze Wasser).