stˈɑːɹɾɪŋ æɾ ɐn ˌɛlɪvˈeɪʃən ʌv nˈɔːɹθ ʌv lˈæk bɹˈoʊm, ɪt flˈoʊz wˈɛstwɚd ʌntˈɪl ɪt ɹˈiːtʃᵻz fˈɑːɹnæm; ðɪs sˈɛkʃən ɪz æt ðə fˈiːt ʌvðɪ ˌæpɐlˈeɪʃən mˈaʊntɪnz, ɪt ɹᵻsˈiːvz tˈuː tɹˈɪbjuːtˌɛɹiz: nˈɔːɹθ jˈæmæskɚ ɹˈɪvɚ fɹˈɛntʃ: ɹˌɪviˈɛɹ jˈæmæskə nˈoːɹd pˈæsɪŋ θɹuː ɡɹˈænbi, ænd jˈæmæskə sˈaʊθ ˈiːst ɹˈɪvɚ dɹˈeɪnɪŋ kˈaʊənzvˌɪl, ˈæftɚ wˌɪtʃ ɪt tˈɜːnz nˈɔːɹθwɚd ænd ˈɛntɚz ðə ɡɹˈeɪt lˈeɪks sənt. lˈɔːɹəns lˈoʊləndz lˈoʊləndz ʌvðə sˈeɪntlˈɔːɹəns ænd mˈiːts ɪts mˈeɪn tɹˈɪbjuːtˌɛɹi ɹˌɪviˈɛɹ nwˈɑːɹ blˈæk ɹˈɪvɚ æt sˈeɪntdˈæmeɪs, pˈæsɪŋ θɹuː ɪts bˈɪɡɪst ɐɡlˌɑːmɚɹˈeɪʃən, sˈeɪnthˈaɪɐsˌɪnð; ɪt kəntˈɪnjuːz təwˈɔːɹdz ɪts mˈaʊθ æt lˈeɪk sˈeɪnt pɪˈɛɹ, wˈɛst ʌv sˈeɪnt fɹˈænswɑː bˈeɪ.
Starting at an elevation of  north of lac Brome, it flows westward until it reaches Farnham; this section is at the feet of the Appalachian Mountains, it receives two tributaries: North Yamaska River (French: Rivière Yamaska Nord) passing through Granby, and Yamaska South East River draining Cowansville, after which it turns northward and enters the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Lowlands (lowlands of the Saint-Lawrence) and meets its main tributary Rivière Noire (Black River) at Saint-Damase, passing through its biggest agglomeration, Saint-Hyacinthe; it continues towards its mouth at Lake Saint Pierre, West of Saint François Bay.