The Skootamatta River flows approximately 48 kilometres through Hastings and Lennox and Addington Counties in Ontario, beginning at Joeperry Lake in Bon Echo Provincial Park and joining the Moira River at Tweed. The river drops from an elevation of 315 metres at its headwaters to 152 metres at its mouth, passing through Skootamatta Lake, Slave Lake, and the community of Flinton along the way. Its name is thought to derive from an Ojibwa phrase meaning "burnt shoreline."

The river is emphatically a spring paddling destination. It is commonly described as a "before Victoria Day river," meaning optimal conditions typically exist only in April and May. The Water Survey of Canada gauge at Highway 7 near Actinolite (station 02HL004) is the key reference for water levels. A minimum reading of approximately 3.3 metres (roughly 12 cubic metres per second) is needed for the river to be runnable, while good whitewater conditions occur around 3.7 metres (40 cms). By early June, flows frequently drop below 2 cms, turning the upper river into a rock garden requiring dragging and scraping. At low water, rapids become unrunnable and must be lined or portaged, and log blowdowns and beaver dams — potentially numbering in the dozens — require liftouts throughout the upper section.

The upper river features a five-kilometre meandering section prone to sweepers and strainers from fallen trees, which can make progress slow even at good spring levels. The river then passes through Flinton before continuing southwest into Hastings County, picking up tributaries including Flinton Creek and Little Skootamatta Creek. The lower section near Highway 7 and Highway 37 is more settled, with cottages and road crossings becoming more frequent. A private dam just upstream of the Highway 7 picnic area requires a liftover.

The put-in for the upper route is at Skootamatta Lake, reached by driving Highway 41 north of Cloyne, turning left on Skootamatta Lake Road, then left again on Sheldrake Lake Road. A topographic map is recommended for locating the access road. Multiple access points exist along the route for those wishing to paddle shorter sections. A public boat launch with no-fee parking is available at O'Brien's Bridge on Highway 37 for those interested in the lower river. Experienced paddlers are advised, as seasonal water level swings can create challenging and rapidly changing conditions throughout the system.