The river begins at Paudash Lake and exits southeast out of the lake under Ontario Highway 28 and over Paudash Lake Dam at the settlement of Paudash in Faraday township, Hastings County. It turns southwest and heads through the southeast corner of the township of Highlands East in Haliburton County, then south into the township of North Kawartha in Peterborough County. The Crowe River heads south-southeast back into Hastings County at the township of Wollaston, passes through a -long, -high and -wide gorge at The Gut Conservation Area, takes in the left tributary Green River, and reaches Tangamong Lake.