Of the glacier rivers of the Olympic Peninsula, this is an anomaly; a large natural lake separates the upper river, accessible to the public, and the lower river, which is entirely within the Quinault reservation. The upper river is fairly short, about eight river miles to the North and East Fork confluence, with minimal and difficult access by boat. Walk-in access is easiest in the upper stretches, with the road being reasonably close to the north and south shore roads. Native sockeye, chinook, and coho are present. The upper river clears quickly after high water events and still produces some very large steelhead.