[7] The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has identified the Straight River as a route for canoeing.

The river flows generally through farmland; its narrow riparian corridor is wooded, predominantly by elm, willow, poplar and maple.

Its course is characterized by occasional riffles, with one section of rapids in Clinton Falls Township in northern Steele County.

Fish species in the river include northern pike, crappie, smallmouth bass and carp.

At the United States Geological Survey's stream gauge upstream of Faribault, the annual mean flow of the river between 1966 and 2005 was 293 cubic feet per second (8 m³/s).