Dumpsites exist throughout the developing countries present a threat to human’s health and the natural ecosystems. This study is aimed at investigating the effect of dumping site at the bank of river Yobe on the river water quality in north eastern part of Nigeria. The water samples were collected from four different points (P1, P2, P3 and P4) and were analysed for physicochemical parameters and some heavy metals. The pH of the water samples were found to be within the range of 6.47 ± 0.05 – 6.85 ± 0.13. The EC, Alkalinity, chloride, hardness, TDS and turbidity of the water samples were in the ranges of 2.12 ± 0.27 – 2.67 ± 0.35 ds/m; 67.23 ± 0.43 – 92.33 ± 0.58 mg/L; 0.73 ± 0.02 – 0.89 ± 0.08 mg/L; 26.67 ± 2.31 – 35.67 ± 0.58 mg/L; 1357 ± 1.08 – 1708 ± 1.99 mg/L and 2.23 ± 0.77 – 164.20 ± 0.32 FTU respectively. The study found out that in the water samples EC, TDS, Cr, Fe and Pb had higher values than the permissible limit set by NSDWQ. The findings of this research work proved that the samples collected were polluted by some the parameters under study and these may be attributed to the availability of metal-containing wastes at the dumpsite which leached into the underlying soil and the river water.