Course
The river begins at an elevation of 221 metres (725 ft) at Molson Lake which is about 55 miles northeast of the northern tip of Lake Winnipeg. A tributary of Molson Lake, Paimusk Creek, begins less than two miles east of the Nelson River. It leaves Molson Lake and flows north and northeast to Robinson Like about 10 miles northeast. Just before reaching Robinson Lake the Echimamish River comes in from the west. This curious river connects directly to the Nelson River and was used by the voyageurs to travel from York Factory on Hudson Bay, up the Hayes and across to the Nelson and downstream to Norway House, Manitoba at the north end of Lake Winnipeg. Northeast of Robinson Lake is Robinson Falls and the mile-long Robinson portage which was the longest portage between Hudson Bay and Edmonton. Somewhere in this area is Hill Gates, a mile-long narrow gorge. Beyond this it cuts across Logan Lake, passes the settlement of Wetikoweskwattam to Opiminegoka Lake, where it takes the northeast-flowing Lawford River, flows through Windy Lake and over Wipanipanis Falls to Oxford Lake at a point about 50 miles northeast of its source at Molson Lake. It flows out of the lake at Oxford House then southeast over Trout Falls to Knee Lake. Exiting Knee Lake, the Hayes passes over a series of rapids and via several channels and widens into Swampy Lake. At the east end of Swampy Lake, about 125 miles northeast of Molson Lake and 150 miles from Hudson bay is the Dramstone where west-bound travelers took a dram to celebrate leaving the most difficult part of the river. Including the rapids downstream from Knee Lake, in a 50-mile stretch the Hayes looses 5/7ths of its elevation in 1/6 of its length. From Swampy Lake it runs through a stretch of constant rapids, past Brassy Hill, rising 140 metres (459 ft) above the river, and takes in the right tributary High Hill River. The river continues northeast through a small canyon for about 100 kilometres (62 mi), therein passing over the Whitemud Falls and Berwick Falls, and takes in the major left tributary Fox River at an elevation of 43 metres (141 ft). The Hayes River continues northeast and takes in the major right tributary Gods River at an elevation of 24 metres (79 ft), and finally reaches its mouth at Hudson Bay, immediately to the south of the mouth of the larger Nelson River and to the north of the mouth of the smaller Machichi River. 120 miles upriver from York Factory was Rock Depot where York boats had to be replaced by smaller canoes. It was 30 portages and 265 miles from Rock Depot to Norway House.
Different parts of the Hayes formerly had different names. According to one source they were: "Hayes River" from the mouth to Gods River, "Steel River" to the Fox River, "Hill River" to Knee Lake, "Trout River" to Oxford Lake, and above Oxford Lake, Weepinipanish River and Franklin's River. Another source has: Trout, Bourbon, Jack Tent, Factory, Steel, Rabbit, and Hill Rivers, and the Rivière du Roc.
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