Placer mining operations along the Quesnel River have, up to 1945, recorded a production of 477 kilograms of gold. Much of this production has come from dredging operations but a significant amount of gold has been won from Tertiary benches with occur up to several tens of metres above the present river level.

Although the Quesnel River passes largely through volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Nicola Group. It is considered that most of the placer gold has been derived from the Omineca terrane to the east rather than from the Nicola group.

The Quesnel River placer deposit, mainly on a low bench adjacent to the river, is typical of placer mining operations along the Quesnel River.

"Data from the Cariboo mining district indicate that supergene leaching of gold dispersed within massive sulphides by Tertiary deep weathering followed by Cenozoic erosion is the most likely explanation for the occurrence of coarse gold nuggets in Quaternary sediments" (Exploration in British Columbia 1989, page 147).