 Within the lake, the Mitchell is joined by the Nicholson and Tambo rivers; and then enters Lake Victoria, where the Mitchell and Latrobe rivers form their confluence, with the Mitchell reaching its mouth in Bass Strait, south of .The river descends over its course; joined by more than thirteen tributaries, many of which are surrounded by dense native forest.At Bairnsdale, the river is traversed by the Princes Highway, west of the highway's junction with the Great Alpine Road.